Category Archives: Green Energy

Energy, Green Energy, News

Energy sector warned over strict legal investment rules

Businesses or individuals looking to invest in the energy industry are being warned about strict Government rules which mean their acquisitions can be scrutinised or even blocked as a matter of national security if they don’t obtain the correct permissions.

The warning comes from solicitor and sector specialist Beth Margetson who says that those who complete an energy-related acquisition without correctly notifying the Government also face severe civil and criminal penalties under the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act.

Beth, a partner in the Renewables team at mfg Solicitors, urged potential investors across the industry to be aware of their obligations under NSI and seek legal advice to avoid falling foul of the law.

She said: “The NSI Act was introduced in January 2022 to address concerns around the change of ownership of assets in sensitive industry sectors and businesses – including energy and electricity storage.

“Under the Act, the Government can intervene in certain acquisitions that may give rise to a risk to national security. They can impose certain conditions on an acquisition, or even unwind or block it completely.

“Buyers who fail to give a correct notification of an energy-related transaction also face severe civil fines of up to 5 per cent of their global turnover, or £10 million – depending on the greater amount – as well as five years in prison.

 

The renewables expert and her team recently exhibited at the Solar and Storage Live show at Birmingham’s NEC and said many people in the industry had questions about their legal obligations under NSI.

 

She added: “The NSI has in many ways been a game-changer for those looking to enter into, or expand within, the energy industry.

“The acquisition of substantial generators or aggregators of electricity can fall within the mandatory notification requirements of the NSI, mainly because the Government considers the energy sector to be essential to the country’s economic growth and stability.

“Due to this seriousness from a central government level, it means that a mandatory online notification may be required for certain transactions, including the purchase of a business or certain assets.

“Aside from the heavy penalties faced for approaching a deal incorrectly, there’s absolutely no doubt that investments into the right energy businesses are proving to be extremely lucrative in recent years. But transaction success only comes if the right advice is taken, and if the correct steps and processes have been followed.”

 

 

Investors are being advised that if the business they are acquiring carries out activities within the energy sector, and their shareholding or voting rights increase to more than 25%, 50% or 75% – or they acquire voting rights which enable them to secure or prevent a resolution governing the affairs of the business – then a mandatory notification may be needed.

Activities within the energy sector which fall under the Act include onshore and offshore generation, aggregation, the transmission or distribution of electricity and storage.

 

For further information, or advice around the National Security and Investment Act 2021, readers can contact Beth through beth.margetson@mfgsolicitors.com

mfg Solicitors has offices in Birmingham, Kidderminster, Worcester, Bromsgrove, Ludlow and Telford.

 

 

Energy, Green Energy, News

The OR Society Awards the President’s Medal 2024 to Smith Institute for The Dynamic Reserve Setting Project in collaboration with National Grid ESO

The OR Society’s President’s Medal for 2024 has been awarded to Smith Institute for its pioneering work on the Dynamic Reserve Setting (DRS) project, developed in collaboration with National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) to enhance the security and economy of Britain’s electricity grid.

This project has the potential to revolutionise decision-making for Britain’s electricity grid, by providing operators with real-time, updated forecasts of reserve recommendations.

 

Reserve can be thought of as ‘spare capacity’ – how much capacity is held to ensure the grid is secure when demand or generation patterns deviate from the initially expected forecasts.

The DRS model was built to capture the complex relationships present within the energy grid, and how the current and future expected state of the grid relates to the amount of reserve to hold.

Dr Kieran Kalair, Dr Heather Tewkesbury and Dr Robert Leese.

As more renewables are incorporated onto the grid, the generation of electricity across the country becomes subject to increased uncertainty – the weather may not be as sunny or windy as anticipated. Historic approaches to determining reserve requirements were not equipped to manage large amounts of renewables in the grid. The dynamic approach developed by Smith Institute ensures reserve recommendations are accurate and the system is secure in the presence of increasing amounts of renewable generation.

The team at Smith Institute developed a probabilistic machine-learning model to provide dynamic reserve recommendations that change as new information about the weather and system state becomes available.

By processing real-time data on weather, system flows, the DRS model optimally recommends reserve levels across multiple timescales to match operator practical needs. This approach ensures the system has sufficient reserve to keep the grid secure, without suggesting overly conservative values that reduce economic operation of the grid.

 

The benefits of the DRS tool

The model allows control room engineers to understand how the recommendation was reached, demonstrating how factors such as wind conditions impacted the overall outcome.

Initial results from back testing on 4 years of data showed the DRS tool reduces reserve recommendations by an average of 300MW per half hour period, whilst operating at the same level of security. This ensures the better alignment of reserves to match grid requirements prevents unnecessary repositioning of generators, supporting ESO’s ambition for 100% zero-carbon operation by 2025.

 

Other remarkable results that emerged included a saving of 1 GW of reserve holdings over just two hours in a real control room trial – equivalent to the output of two nuclear reactors during the same period.

 

Joshua Brooke, Senior Machine Learning Engineer at ESO, stated, “DRS is a step change in how we can operate the GB electricity system. By having better visibility of the need for reserves, we can save the consumer money and save the atmosphere CO2. We can dramatically increase our flexibility in how we procure generation through new and better services.”

ESO plans to implement DRS as a business-as-usual solution and use it as a template for its AI/Machine-Learning processes in the future.

 

Excellence of the OR Process

The Dynamic Reserve Setting project exemplifies operational research excellence through:

  • An iterative and open problem formulation process.
  • Having a foundation rooted in mathematics, machine-learning, and forecasting.

The project stood out due to its:

  • Data-driven, probabilistic, and explainable solution.
  • Effective handling of an atypical forecasting problem associated with renewable energy integration.

Dr Kieran Kalair, Principal Consultant at Smith Institute, commented: “I know everyone at Smith Institute is thrilled The OR Society has awarded the President’s Medal to The Dynamic Reserve Setting project. DRS has the potential to totally revolutionise how reserve setting is done for the GB electricity grid, making it more sustainable, efficient, and effective. The impact and importance of this cannot be overestimated as the world pivots to a low-carbon, renewable energy future.”

 

Gilbert Owusu, President of The OR Society, said: “The President’s Medal acknowledges exceptional contributions in operational research and this project really stood out. Britain needs an electricity grid that is economical, green and dependable and The Dynamic Reserve Setting project is not only a significant advancement in balancing our energy grid; it will transform and shape the future of energy management in the UK.”

 

The award was presented at the OR Society’s annual conference OR66 held at Bangor University on 10-12th September. The medal will be presented to Smith Institute by The OR Society at its annual Blackett Memorial Lecture on 5th December at The Royal Society.

 

Energy, Green Energy, News

Government’s new ‘cap and floor’ scheme a ‘pivotal’ moment for UK’s green energy future’, says BHA

British Hydropower Association points out investment in long duration energy storage (LDES) technologies will “unleash billions in private investment and create thousands of jobs.”

The British Hydropower Association (BHA) has today welcomed the UK Government’s decision to support vital investment in long duration energy storage (LDES) technologies, including pumped storage hydropower.

 The announcement by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero follows a consultation held earlier this year which proposed a ‘cap and floor’ scheme to encourage LDES investment.

The BHA says the government’s support for the introduction of a ‘cap and floor’ mechanism represents a significant step forward in unlocking the potential of LDES and strengthening the UK’s position as a clean energy leader.

Kate Gilmartin, CEO of the British Hydropower Association, said: “This announcement marks a pivotal moment for the UK’s clean energy future. The cap and floor mechanism will provide the certainty needed to unleash billions of pounds in private investment, creating thousands of jobs and accelerating our path to net zero.

 “The BHA and our members are eager to work closely with Ofgem to ensure this mechanism is implemented swiftly. Time is of the essence in the global race towards clean energy leadership, and the UK has a significant early mover advantage on which we must capitalise.
 “Our sector is poised to move forward rapidly, leveraging our global supply chain, world-class skills, and ability to attract international capital. With the right framework in place, we can secure the UK’s position at the forefront of this crucial technology.”

The BHA has been campaigning for a ‘cap and floor’ mechanism to bring forward the pipeline of pumped storage Hydropower projects and has urged immediate action following today’s announcement, including:

  1. Accelerated Implementation: We urge Ofgem and the government to bring forward the mechanism at an accelerated pace. Swift action is crucial to maintain the UK’s competitive edge.
  2. Global Opportunity: The LDES sector represents a global opportunity. The UK must attract investment, skills, and supply chain from around the world.
  3. Job Creation: Rapid development of LDES projects will create thousands of skilled jobs across the UK, supporting the government’s agenda to bring forward high quality jobs.
  4. Energy Security: LDES technologies, particularly pumped storage hydropower, are vital for enhancing the UK’s energy security, reducing reliance on fossil fuels in volatile international markets and avoiding costly curtailment.
 The BHA looks forward to engaging closely with Ofgem and the government in the coming weeks to ensure the cap and floor mechanism is designed and implemented effectively, enabling the sector to move forward at pace.
Energy, Green Energy, News, Renewable Energy News

Tidal technology is key to filling gaps in the UK’s renewable energy generation, expert tells Labour Annual Conference

Huge opportunities lie ahead for tidal range technology to play a key part in the UK’s future energy mix.

That was the message delivered at a fringe event hosted by the British Hydropower Association, convenor of the Tidal Range Alliance (TRA) at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool.

 

Bill Esterson, MP, Chair of the Commons Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee, told the event:“There are huge opportunities in tidal energy in this country, because of the nature of our tidal reach. We have 30 feet of tidal range out here on the Mersey and people of this region have been talking about this for much longer than I have been around, and it’s time. The time has come – absolutely.”

The Merseyside MP said the government was committed to a range of renewable energy sources.

“The truth is that we need these schemes across the country. Whilst wind and solar are going to be the backbone of our renewable electricity generation, there are gaps to fill and while we have nuclear, it’s pretty clear that we need other technologies. Tidal is entirely predictable. It fills that last 20% of generation that is less certain,” he added.

 

The Labour MP said his select committee was keen to explore the opportunities and would take evidence and recommendations to the UK government.

Just last week, Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram announced a public consultation on a tidal scheme on the Mersey which has entered the formal planning process.

 

The event heard from a range of speakers, including Kate Gilmartin, CEO of the British Hydropower Association, Ioan Jenkins, chair of the TRA; and Charles Hendry, a former Conservative energy minister.

 

Mr Hendry, Author of ‘The Hendry Review’ into Tidal Range said the war in Ukraine had highlighted the need for “indigenous, home-grown power and nothing is more home grown than our tides with the second highest tidal range in the world.”

He also pointed out that tidal could provide the “elusive Brexit dividend” with the power to do more to drive down prices and focus on solely UK energy sources.

 

After the event, Kate Gilmartin, CEO of the British Hydropower Association, said: “We are thrilled that members here at Labour conference have shown such enthusiasm for Tidal Range, given our very high hopes for the progression of the world’s largest tidal scheme right here on the River Mersey.

“Tidal Range is a key part of the decarbonisation jigsaw for the UK, which can bring forward social value and affordable energy through local energy markets and smart flexible systems. It has the potential to circumvent one of the biggest barriers to decarbonising the grid – transmission constraints.

 

“We look forward to giving evidence to Mr Esterson’s committee and to persuading the government that the time for tidal is very much here and we urge ministers to ride the wave for this important, predictable, energy generation technology.”

 

Energy, Green Energy, News, Sustainability

Scottish Government Approves 228MW:456MWh Smeaton Battery Energy Storage System

Kona Energy, a leader in energy storage development, is pleased to announce that the Scottish Government has granted consent for the construction and operation of the Smeaton Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), a 228MW:456MWh project near Dalkeith, East Lothian. This development is set to significantly contribute to the decarbonisation of the UK grid, achieving estimated carbon savings of roughly 15,368 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year.

The Smeaton BESS will store energy from renewable sources and release it during peak demand, reducing grid constraints and lowering energy costs for consumers. The project’s strategic geographical location will play a critical role in enhancing grid resilience and supporting the UK’s transition to a zero-carbon future.

 

Using the same methodology as previous Kona assessments, the Smeaton BESS is expected to save 15,368 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in its first year. This is the equivalent of offsetting the emissions from 17,328 average UK homes – not including heating.

The Smeaton BESS is strategically positioned to particularly reduce energy constraints and related costs on the UK grid. National Grid ESO estimates show that constraint costs could reach as high as £3bn in 2029, with the bulk of this coming from curtailing wind in Scotland.

Projects such as the Smeaton BESS are vital in bringing these costs down, reducing bills for consumers and preventing the waste of clean energy generation.

 

With the nearby Torness nuclear power station due to shut down in 2028, the project will also play a key role in improving local network stability.

The project aligns with Kona Energy’s ongoing work with the Electricity System Operator (ESO) and National Grid to mitigate energy constraints and improve network stability. Kona jointly wrote a proposal paper illustrating how ESO can use batteries to rapidly reduce the public cost of constraints. This was done in partnership with Zenobē, Eku and Field in response to the ESO’s Constraints Collaboration Project.

 

Kona Energy, advised by Opus Corporate Finance LLP, will shortly be seeking investment to bring the Smeaton BESS project to market. To support the project’s delivery, Dr Lu Zhang, previously with Hithium, a leading Chinese cell manufacturer, has joined Kona Energy as Technical Director. Dr Zhang’s expertise will be vital in maximising the project’s potential and ensuring its successful and speedy implementation.

 

Andy Willis, Kona Energy Founder, commented:

“This is fantastic news, adding to Kona’s growing portfolio of work. This project represents a significant step forward in decarbonising the UK’s electricity grid while providing tangible and real benefits in terms of cost reduction and energy security. We are eager to collaborate with investors and partners in order to deliver this project on a rapid timescale.”

“Tackling constraint costs is vital in not only bringing down consumer bills and preventing the costly waste of clean generation, but also for retaining public trust in reaching Net Zero. The huge financial burden of prohibiting wind turbines from operating is becoming a more relevant topic in the wider debate – rightly so. Our industry must do more to tackle this, and projects such as the Smeaton BESS will help to significantly reduce the waste involved.”

“Its strategic location will give it a unique role to play in drastically slashing constraint costs and consumer bills – that was one of the key reasons why our development team was so enthusiastic about the project’s potential.”

“I’d like to thank the Scottish Government for their positive engagement on the project, and look forward to working with them again in the future in order to deliver our shared Net Zero goal.”

Energy, Green Energy, News

Government must do more to unlock hydropower potential, says BHA

The British Hydropower Association has today called on the Government to do more to unlock the potential for Hydropower and Pumped Storage Hydro (PSH), if the UK is to reach its net-zero target by 2030.

It follows the announcement today (Wed) by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, to increase the budget for this year’s renewable energy auction by £500 million, taking it to over £1.5 billion.

 

Kate Gilmartin, CEO of the British Hydropower Association, said: “Although the BHA welcomes the UK Government’s clear commitment to deliver more renewable energy generation to meet their target of decarbonising the grid by 2030, this is only one piece of the puzzle.

“Large scale generation is hampered by grid constraints and unlocking Pumped Storage Hydropower will be key to reducing curtailment and rebalancing costs.

“There is still no support for sub-5MW generation like Hydropower which will be critical to decarbonising across the distribution network as rural communities look to decarbonise transport and heat, putting significant additional load on the grid.

“The Government must follow up with an holistic approach that factors in the entire network and the ramping up of electrification of transport, heat and industry.”

Earlier this week the BHA and Scottish Renewables signed a joint letter to Mr Miliband, as well as his cabinet colleagues Ian Murray, the Secretary of State for Scotland, and Jo Stevens, the Secretary of State for Wales, urging the UK Government to support the deployment of long-duration electricity storage (LDES), including pumped storage hydro (PSH).

In the letter, co-signed by many major developers of PSH in the UK, the trade bodies call on the UK Government to urgently introduce a ‘cap and floor mechanism’ for LDES to enable the delivery of the PSH pipeline which currently stands at more than 9GW of capacity, including several shovel ready projects.

 

The ‘cap and floor’ is designed to unlock investment by striking a balance between commercial incentives and appropriate risk mitigation for project developers. The ‘floor’ provides a minimum revenue certainty for investors, with a regulated limit, or a ‘cap’ on revenues to avoid excessive returns to developers.

With the delivery of a LDES ‘cap and floor’ mechanism, PSH can play a key role in supporting the UK Government’s net-zero targets and helping secure Britain’s clean energy future.

 

PSH is essential for storing energy from variable renewable sources like wind and solar, ensuring power availability when demand is highest.

To enable the delivery of the LDES ‘cap and floor’ mechanism, the industry is urging the UK Government to:

  • Publish its response to the 2024 LDES consultation by August, confirming the decision to develop a cap and floor mechanism.
  • Commit to establishing a policy framework by the end of 2024, with a consultation on the scheme’s detailed design in early autumn.
  • Commit to opening the first application window for LDES technologies in early 2025 at the latest.

 

 

Image: Ian Murray with Kate Gilmartin at the BHA’s recent event

Energy, Green Energy, News, Renewable Energy News, Sustainability, Technology, Wiltshire News

Renewables company Sinewave chooses Mintivo as strategic IT partner to help home in on £100 million turnover target

RENEWABLES company Sinewave has appointed Mintivo as its strategic IT partner to help reach its £100 million turnover target within five years.

The Swindon-based independent connection provider designs and builds electrical infrastructure solutions for major EV charging stations, Renewable sites and has more than 2,500 maintenance sites across the UK, including supermarkets, factories and battery storage sites.

Sinewave CEO Adam Woodley said the nine-year-old company chose Chippenham-based Mintivo, which offers managed IT support, consultancy, cyber security and automation, because of its track record in helping companies push their boundaries through strategic IT development.

“We need an IT partner who is going to push us to make sure that we’re at the top of our game and that we’re not falling behind the competition,” he said. “Having someone that’s agile, forward thinking, also growing and can understand us as a business is really important.

Sinewave, which became B-Corp certified in 2022, is one of the top UK companies helping lead the charge into renewable energy and its 60 per cent growth over the last year reflects the surge in sustainable projects as industry gets to grips with climate change.

“We’re in the energy transformation sector and if you look at the government’s agenda, if you look at net zero targets, existing energy sources are all turning green,” said Mr Woodley.

“We’ve grown because of this pace of change and the increasing size of the projects we are undertaking. If you go back five years we were looking at five megawatt solar parks, we’re now connecting solar parks that are 120 megawatts, so significantly bigger. That drives the opportunity for growth that we have.”

Its work includes connecting large-scale projects that are helping convert traditionally diesel-powered vehicles, like buses, HGVs and shoreside maritime equipment, to cleaner electricity. It is currently engaged on an £11 million contract in Stockton-on-Tees that includes three solar parks and eight kilometres of cabling.

“Our involvement in these projects is the infrastructure, bringing in electricity from the grid,  connecting the renewable energy sources up so it can then power them and then bringing those renewable energy sources back onto the grid,” said Mr Woodley.

The company has around 40 staff at its Swindon base and 50 more engineers working remotely around the UK. It is forecasting £35 million turnover this year but Mr Woodley said its ambition is to keep growing on the back of the sustainable energy boom. “We have a target to be a £100 million business in the next five years, with a headcount of around 250,” he said.

Mintivo is charged with keeping Sinewave’s remote staff connected and its workforce management system resilient. “The workforce management system runs our end-to-end process, from bid management right through to contract management, deployment of field engineers and down to the final invoicing,” said Mr Woodley.

“We have a lot of field-based staff who may not come into the office, in some cases for months on end, so making sure their connectivity, their support, is there is really important to us.

“If we lose a couple of hours because of an IT outage or there’s an issue with systems that means we lose data, we’re not going to be compliant on projects. We are also measuring our carbon footprint across all of our projects to be able to offset. Every project we do is carbon neutral.”

Mintivo Managing Director Alex Jukes said the two companies are aligned in their values because they are of similar age and size. “We understand the challenges they have because we’ve been going through a similar journey ,” he said.

“We’re fortunate because Sinewave is so forward thinking, they’ve got a very clear vision for the future. We will be advising Adam and his team on how IT can support them, what routes will be the right ones and then help them to make the right decisions in getting there more efficiently from an IT point of view.”

Mintivo is already helping Sinewave migrate to a fully cloud-based system and exploring the use of AI to help staff work more efficiently. “We’re looking at AI to streamline some of our existing processes to make sure that we’re making the systems work harder for us and allowing our team to concentrate on the more technical and enjoyable aspects of their jobs,” said Mr Woodley.

Mr Jukes said: “We’re excited to be working with a company like Sinewave. Our responsibility is to use our strategic knowledge to ensure the opportunities to leverage technology better are efficient, scalable and secure.

“We’re going to be focused on the future with Sinewave and how we can help push them forward.”

Find out more about Sinewave at sinewave.co.uk and about Mintivo’s services at Mintivo.co.uk.

—

Pictured: Mintivo Managing Director Alex Jukes, left, with Sinewave CEO Adam Woodley

Energy, Green Energy, News, Scotland, Sustainability, Wales

UK Government must invest in hydropower, industry tells Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

  • British Hydropower Association and Scottish Renewables leading calls for a ‘cap and floor’ mechanism to accelerate investment and demonstrate a “step-change” in decision-making 
  • UK has a pipeline of more than 9GW including several ‘shovel ready’ projects, but inaction has been costing consumers

 

The British Hydropower Association and Scottish Renewables have written a joint letter to Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ian Murray, the Secretary of State for Scotland, and Jo Stevens, the Secretary of State for Wales, urging the UK Government to support the deployment of long-duration electricity storage (LDES), including pumped storage hydro (PSH).

In the letter, which is co-signed by all major developers of PSH in the UK, the trade bodies called on the UK Government to urgently introduce a ‘cap and floor mechanism’ for LDES to enable the delivery of the PSH pipeline which currently stands at more than 9GW of capacity, including several shovel ready projects.

Ian Murray & Kate Gilmartin at the BHA’s recent event

The ‘cap and floor’ is designed to unlock investment by striking a balance between commercial incentives and appropriate risk mitigation for project developers. The ‘floor’ provides a minimum revenue certainty for investors, with a regulated limit, or a ‘cap’ on revenues to avoid excessive returns to developers.

With the delivery of a LDES ‘cap and floor’ mechanism, PSH can play a key role in supporting the UK Government’s net-zero targets and helping secure Britain’s clean energy future.

PSH is essential for storing energy from variable renewable sources like wind and solar, ensuring power availability when demand is highest.

 

To enable the delivery of the LDES ‘cap and floor’ mechanism, the industry is urging the UK Government to:

  • Publish its response to the 2024 LDES consultation by August, confirming the decision to develop a cap and floor mechanism.
  • Commit to establishing a policy framework by the end of 2024, with a consultation on the scheme’s detailed design in early autumn.
  • Commit to opening the first application window for LDES technologies in early 2025 at the latest.
Ian Murray addressing the BHA’s recent event in his first official ministerial engagement

Ian Murray MP recently attended a high-profile BHA event in his first official engagement since being appointed to the UK cabinet where he indicated that the UK Government understood the importance of ‘cap and floor’ and said it “was key” to securing investment in new projects.

 

Kate Gilmartin, CEO of the British Hydropower Association, said:

“With economic growth and renewable energy at the centre of the new government’s agenda, there is an opportunity to demonstrate a step-change in decision-making after years of delay and uncertainty.

“By prioritising the urgent delivery of a cap and floor mechanism, we can send positive signals to international investors and trigger large-scale capital projects and job creation.”

Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said:

“The UK Government has set a bold and ambitious target of achieving clean power by 2030. To deliver on this target, it is essential that Long Duration Electricity Storage is deployed at pace alongside renewable generation.

“As a well-established technology with a multi-gigawatt pipeline and several ‘shovel ready’ projects, Pumped Storage Hydro is a key technology to smoothly integrate the increase in generation we require, help reduce system costs and deliver huge economic benefits across the country.

“However, despite the extensive benefits of these projects being clear, the lack of policy support has meant that no new Pumped Storage Hydro capacity has been built in the UK for over forty years. By urgently delivering a cap and floor mechanism for Long Duration Electricity Storage, the UK Government therefore has an opportunity to put an end to years of delay and uncertainty and unlock the investment required for these projects to play their crucial role in enabling Britain to become a clean energy superpower.”

Cruachan Dam

The Scottish Renewables report, ‘The Economic Impact of Pumped Storage Hydro’, indicates that six PSH projects under development could deliver £5.8 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) and create nearly 15,000 jobs by 2035.

Additionally, a Department for Energy Security and Net Zero analysis estimates system savings of up to £24 billion from deploying up to 20GW of long-duration electricity storage.

 

The BHA and Scottish Renewables represent developers with a combined pipeline of more than 9GW of new PSH projects, offering over 190GWh of storage capacity. Many of these projects are described as “shovel ready,” awaiting only the implementation of an appropriate cap and floor mechanism to enable deployment.

 

Energy, Green Energy, News, Renewable Energy News

Vertus Energy secures €8.75m seed funding to drive delivery of European renewable energy agenda

  • Proven technology receives further backing from global to scale carbon negative energy production, set to revolutionise the Waste-to-X* sector.
  • New funding powers expansion, aligning with ambitious EU targets, making biomethane more economically viable and accessible, contributing to the global transition towards a more resilient, versatile and sustainable energy system;.
  • Expansion secures path to first commercial scale unit in Europe. 

 

London, UK, GMT 27 June 2024: Vertus Energy – a Waste-to-X* industrial biotech startup specialising in advanced control of bacteria behaviour – has closed a EUR 8.75 million seed funding round, it was announced today.

The funding, led by prominent global investors Energy Capital Ventures®, joined by Blackbird, the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund and Aussie Angels, alongside all their existing investors, will be used to scale the firm’s flagship product, BRIO, into pilot projects.

BRIO – a product of extensive research and development – is a revolutionary biogas technology that:

 

  • Generates biomethane up to 3 times faster than currently possible
  • Boosts energy production by up to 60% from the same amount of waste
  • Is flexible, having the potential to service the entire industry, at every scale
  • Easily retrofits into existing anaerobic digestion plants
  • Is highly adaptable to diverse systems – controls existing bacteria rather than by introducing new bacteria, enabling the potential to utilise any waste stream.

 

The new funding will be directed towards accelerating the adoption of the BRIO technology in commercial units across various applications, from full scale wastewater treatment plants to the large-scale biogas plants, that are integral components of the renewable energy ecosystem.

The global biogas market is projected to grow at around 5.2% annually from 2020 to 2030, reaching $86.7 billion by 2030. Europe is expected to be one of the major players in this field, having set biomethane production targets to reach 35 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year by 2030.

 

Vertus Energy is a Waste-to-X industrial biotech startup specialising in advanced control of bacteria behaviour. Encouraged by the region’s ambitious biomethane production agenda, the company made the strategic move of establishing its regional HQ in Vienna, Austria, to expand influence across the breadth of Europe and the UK, where existing AD plant infrastructure increased by 30%  to reach a total of 1,322 biomethane-producing facilities by April 2023.

 

Leading the operations from the UK, Co-founder and COO, Benjamin Howard will focus on delivering Vertus Energy projects across Europe and implementing a strategy for global commercialisation.

“Vertus Energy is determined to radically improve access to sustainable energy and help Europe meet its renewable energy objectives,” he says. “Thanks to the backing of our proprietary BRIO technology by world-class investors, we’re able to deliver some key objectives.

“We’ve already established relationships with global players, who have recognised how the technology can help them to meet their renewable energy goals and are genuinely excited by what we can deliver. It’s an incredible time for us as we partner with companies to pursue an enormous common benefit, impacting on global energy equity, sustainability and resilience. BRIO is the first of many innovations we’re working on; but our purpose remains the same. ‘Delivering Energy Justice for All’.”

 

Vic Pascucci, Managing General Partner and Cofounder of Energy Capital Ventures, comments: “As the only venture capital fund solely dedicated to green molecules™, we have devoted the last several years to analysing technologies and start-ups in biogas, biomethanation and renewable natural gas.  It was abundantly clear from our exhaustive due diligence that Vertus Energy’s technology, commercial progress and team were far superior to anything in the market.  We backed Vertus Energy because they have a fantastic team, clearly demonstrative technology and verifiable results that vastly surpass competitive options.”

 

For Wolfgang Neubert, General Partner at the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund, it was the scientific data that drew them to invest. He comments: “We were impressed by Vertus’ commitment to deep-tech innovation and their solid foundation of scientific data. It aligned perfectly with our focus on supporting companies that are not only driven by innovation but also committed to sustainability. Looking through a long-term lens, we are excited by BRIO’s potential for further advancements in the biogas market and look forward to uncovering those broader possibilities, with Vertus being positioned at the forefront of the sustainable energy push.”

 

Energy, Green Energy, Hospitality, News, Sustainability

Highlands Hotel Reaches World ‘Green’ Final

Pioneering Energy Centre gets Worldwide Recognition

A highlands hotel that built a pioneering Energy Centre will take its place amongst global names after being short-listed in the first World Sustainable Travel and Hospitality Awards.

 

The family-run Glen Mhor Hotel in Inverness developed Scotland’s first ever Water Source Energy solution centre in 2021, in a historic conservation area, saving 250 tonnes of carbon per year.

It initiated its own Climate Action Plan and has introduced programmes to promote inclusion and positive mental health, with its 146 employees each having an individual Green job title.

Now its climate action and people initiatives have been rewarded with listings in three categories for the worldwide award; the only business in Scotland to be named, and one of only two in Britain.

 

Selected from hundreds of entries, the Glen Mhor will now go up against international chains, resorts and famous names in the global vote, which is now open to everyone.

Voting will close on 2nd August and the winners in each category will be announced in the inaugural ceremony in Belize on 27th September.

 

The Glen Mhor Hotel, which also uses its £8m Energy Centre to produce malt whisky and craft beer at its on-site Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery, scored high with judges on three aspects.

Its nominations are for World Leading Sustainable Energy Efficiency Initiative, World leading Sustainable Water and Waste Innovation and the World’s Leading Sustainable Employer.

 

The Award categories were chosen to reflect the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and will be contested by brands such as Accor, Radisson and Mandarin Oriental.

 

Victoria Erasmus, Sustainability Director, Uile-bheist distillery, Inverness.

“When we evaluated our business with a desire to future-proof with renewable technology and practices, we knew we had to take bold steps in order to achieve our net zero goals,” recalls Victoria Erasmus, Sustainability Director.

“Our Energy Centre and sustainable technology had never been used before and we had the challenge of building during lockdown in a historic conservation area and during the Covid pandemic. Despite the challenges and the risks, we were driven by the urgency to address a global climate crisis.

“As a smaller player among these fellow nominees, I am incredibly proud of our team’s efforts and honoured to have been shortlisted. This recognition is a testament to the fact that everyone in the hospitality industry, not just the large chains and resorts, can make a significant impact on sustainability and climate change. The journey has been challenging, but this acknowledgement is the ultimate reward for our hard work and dedication.”

 

The Glen Mhor’s Energy Centre was showcased as an exemplar at the All Energy Conference in Glasgow in May.

When it became operational, it removed 20 gas boilers from the hotel and provided a new water source for heating and hot water.  Electricity usage was reduced by solar panels and the Glen Mhor will be carbon neutral by 2030.

 

As well as transforming operational practices, the 126-room hotel by the River Ness has won praise for its staff initiatives, with 20 trained mental health first aiders, sensory recruitment practices and measures to promote inclusion in hospitality.

“Sustainability is at the heart for our staff and training,” explained Victoria. “In our business, every role is a green role, designed with environmental responsibility in mind. This approach is essential for transforming both attitudes and operational practices.”

 

The only other UK entry is Weeva Limited UK in the World Leading Sustainable Technology category. Members of the public can vote by visiting https://wstha.com/