Hull and Humber - Renewable Energy & Environment

[ChrisG (Hull)]

Renewable Energy
The Humber area is driving forward the development of the renewable energy sector providing opportunities for business in tidal technologies, biofuels, wind energy and biomass.

Energy is big business here:

27% of the UK's oil refining capacity
20% of the UK's natural gas landings
32% of the UK's coal imports
17% of the UK's electricity generation in and around the area
Home to Centrica, International Power, ConocoPhillips, Total and BP, energy is big business here. The Humber area currently lands and distributes 20% of the UK's natural gas and provides more than a quarter of the UK's oil refining capacity. What is more, 32% of the UK's coal imports come through the Humber ports, most of which is supplied to the nearby power stations that generate around 17% of the UK's electricity.

With a pivotal role in the UK energy sector, established infrastructure, the capability to handle a diverse energy mix and the knowledge and expertise, the Humber area is capitalising on its strengths as a natural location for investment to establish a world class renewable energy hub.

To do this, experts in the private sector across the wind, tidal, biofuel and biomass sectors have come together with the University of Hull, training providers, business support agencies and the four local authorities, to drive the sector forward with the aim of putting the region on the world stage for renewable energy.

The Humber area already has a track record in leading the way:

Tidal technologies
Having worked closely with internationally renowned experts at the University of Hull, the Humber is home to two tidal energy test sites and is set to become the location of the first marine renewable device to feed power into the national grid on the UK mainland.

Biofuels
Home to the largest proportion of biofuel production facilities in the UK along with proposals for a high technology demonstration plant, designed to advance development of the next generation of biofuels.

Wind energy
There are over 20 onshore and offshore wind energy projects in the area, including two of the largest offshore wind farms in the UK currently under development.

Biomass
The Humber area offers significant potential for the biomass sector with an emerging supply chain providing feedstock, equipment, skills and technologies and a world first in the production of energy from food waste.

from http://www.hull.co.uk/landing.asp?pageid=156

[ChrisG (Hull)]

http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/news/na...el-centre.html

Lord Mandelson welcomes world-class advanced biofuel centre
by ClickGreen staff. Published Fri 27 Nov 2009 11:49
BP's Saltend plant to be home to next generation biofuel plant

A cutting-edge technology development centre planned for Hull will help to grow the UK’s economy and enhance its reputation as a world-class centre for innovation and research, Lord Mandelson said during a visit to the region.

Energy industry giant BP and sustainable science solutions company DuPont have joined forces to form Kingston Research Ltd, which will focus on the commercialisation of advanced biofuel technology, at a £25m purpose-built development and demonstration facility at BP’s Saltend site, near Hull.

Working closely with Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency for Yorkshire and Humber and UK Trade & Investment, this new joint venture emphasises the region’s and the UK’s ability to attract crucial research and development operations. Twenty-seven jobs will be created in the region.

Lord Mandelson said: “This will place the UK at the forefront of next generation biofuel development.

“New industries such as low-carbon and renewable technologies have huge potential for driving growth. This is precisely the type of investment project we need attract in order for these industries to thrive in the UK.

“I’m delighted that Hull and East Riding are at the cutting edge of R&D to realise that greener, brighter future.”

Kingston Research Limited General Manager, Luc Van Den Hemel: “Biobutanol is a new lower-carbon fuel and we are excited about demonstrating this technology in the Humberside region. Biobutanol is a biofuel that can be made from all the same crops as bioethanol and can be blended into petrol at higher levels, which means that we’ll be able to introduce biofuels more quickly. In the future, it will be possible to convert bioethanol refineries to produce biobutanol, allowing this industry to make an even larger contribution to meeting the world’s energy needs.”

Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Forward commented: “This is great news for Yorkshire and Humber and demonstrates the region’s ability to attract significant inward investments that will play a vital role towards tackling climate change, in this case advanced biofuels. Yorkshire Forward recognises and supports the environmental technologies sector, and has committed extra resource to support the development of new technology.”

UK Trade and Investment, with the assistance of British Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald in the United States, worked with Yorkshire Forward to bring this plant to the region.

Sir Nigel Sheinwald said: "This is an excellent example of the close relationship between British and American business, and the confidence investors have in the UK workforce. I congratulate all involved and look forward to BP and DuPont leading the way with the next generation of biofuels."

The BP site at Hull is also home to Vivergo Fuels, a joint venture between BP, British Sugar and DuPont. Vivergo is constructing a world-scale bioethanol facility that will begin producing bioethanol in 2010 and will play a major role in meeting the UK’s requirements for biofuels. Vivergo will employ approximately seventy people when operational.

[ChrisG (Hull)]

Regional Business Information for Yorkshire
http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/mobil...gion=Yorkshire
7th December 2009

Tidal power comes to Hull

A £1m tidal stream device which the Yorkshire company behind it believes can provide the future for renewable energy is set to be launched in the River Humber.

Neptune Renewable Energy (NREL), based in North Ferriby, East Yorkshire, has developed its Proteus power plant, which is being constructed by Wear Dock and Engineering in Sunderland.

The 150 tonne full-scale demonstration unit is set to come to Hull by early January with commissioning shortly afterwards and electricity generated by it will be used to The Deep's Submarium in Hull.

NREL said once moored, the state-of-the-art Proteus would be able to work equally well in ebb and flow currents and consists of a steel hull, turbine, and buoyancy chambers.

The company believes that unlike wind power, tidal stream power was "regular" and "predictable".

Extensive model tests at the University of Hull's 'Total Environmental Simulator' research facility have allowed the design to be refined.

NREL said its design could generate 30% electricity compared to traditional hydro designs and could be positioned close to the National Grid or distribution supply points.

Nigel Petrie, chairman of NREL, said: "The deployment of the Proteus demonstrator is undoubtedly a major landmark and will serve as a key platform for the company's ongoing success.

"This is very much the culmination of a long-term research and development programme; in fact the demonstrator will be commissioned almost three years to the day after the first 10th and 40th scale models of the Proteus were tested by the University of Hull.

"Throughout the process, at a local authority level, Hull City Council have been extremely supportive of our efforts.

"Upon the completion of the demonstrator trials, the aim is to have the world's first tidal stream power array, consisting of advanced Proteus designs, up and running close to The Deep in the Humber during 2011/12.

"We believe that the future for Neptune Renewable Energy and Proteus is extremely bright, given the renewed focus by Government on renewable power generation."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Chris (Newcastle)]

http://www.thisishullandeastriding.c...l/article.html

200 MILLION TONNES OF COAL UNDER THE HUMBER

Thursday, December 10, 2009, 06:30


COAL located deep under the River Humber could be used to power homes and businesses for decades to come.

Permission has been granted for a firm to examine the energy potential of untapped coal seams beneath the estuary.


If sufficient reserves are found, the coal could produce half of the energy needs of the Hull and Grimsby areas for at least 30 years.

Officials say new technology could harness "clean energy" from the coal, which would be converted into gas in a process known as gasification.

The gas can then be used for power generation or the manufacture of fuels.

But environmental campaigners have criticised the move, arguing there is no such thing as "clean coal".

Depending on the outcome of the studies on the Humber, the move could bring a multi-million pound investment to the region.

Catherine Bond, chief executive of Clean Coal – the firm given the go-ahead to investigate the potential of the underground coal – insists the project is environmentally friendly.

She said: "This is an exciting development. Underground coal gasification is a greener way to produce energy without the environmental hazards of coal mining.

"This is a potentially huge project that could result in a £154m commercial project. We could do a variety of things with the gas, including putting it into the gas grid or building a power station.

"Data suggests there is an estimated 200m tonnes in this area. To put this in perspective, the UK as a whole produces 27m tonnes a year."

The coal industry claims that gasification is "clean coal" technology that produces fewer of the harmful gases, chemicals, particles and heavy metals that conventional coal power plants spew into the air.

But the process is a controversial subject.

Shan Oakes, of the Hull and East Riding Green Party, said: "Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel. Clean coal technology and carbon capture has not been tested on a wide-scale commercial basis.

"It is expensive and requires a long-term commitment. We should be investing in renewable energy – we have the technology and we have this gigantic estuary that we should be harnessing the power of.

"Reverting to old fossil fuels is just going backwards. We need to be vigilant that companies do not see the Humber as a backwater where they can get away with doing things they couldn't elsewhere."

Until renewable energy (wind, tidal, solar, geothermal) sources can meet 100% of the needs of an industrialized country we desperately need as many 'transitional' fuel sources as possible to avoid the greatest threat to world peace - all our energy eggs are in one basket in the form of the industrialized world's dependence on depleting Middle East oil. The only currently viable alternatives are:

1) Nuclear
2) Fossil Fuels with carbon capture technology

If climate change is as serious as is being said, then we must stem all CO2 emmisions immediately and go 80% nuclear 20% renewables like France. Until then we should be desperately glad to have dirty old coal.

[livin' hull]

More details about the gasification of coal scheme...

The Times 8/12/09

North Sea coal to be burnt underground

Vast coal deposits lying deep beneath the North Sea will be burnt in situ to generate up to 5 per cent of Britain’s energy needs, under new plans approved by the Government last week.

The UK Coal Authority has awarded licences to Clean Coal, an Anglo-American company, to develop five offshore sites for a technology called Underground Coal Gasification (UGC).

The method, which has not been used on a commercial scale in the UK, although it is widely used in Australia, taps the high energy content of coal while doing away with the costly and labour-intensive need to mine it first.

Rohan Courtney, a former director of Tullow Oil who is chairman of Clean Coal, said that the potential for the technology was enormous. “There are enormous amounts of coal lying beneath the North Sea which have never been accessed,” he said. “This technology is going to open up the industry again in the UK.”

The sites approved for use stretch up to 10km offshore from Sunderland, Grimsby and Cromer on the shores of the North Sea, Canonbie, near Annan in Dumfries and Galloway on the other side of Scotland, and Swansea Bay, outside the entrance to the Bristol Channel. The combined coal reserves are estimated to be at least one billion tonnes, equivalent to more than one sixth of all the coal consumed in an average year around the world. Global consumption of coal is about 5.8 billion tonnes a year. Total consumption in the UK is about 80 million tonnes a year.

The technique uses two bore holes drilled into a coal seam. The injection well is used to ignite the coal and keep it burning by pumping down oxygen to supply the fire. The other is used to extract a methane-rich synthetic gas that can be used to generate electricity by driving an above-ground power station.

Mr Courtney said that polluting carbon dioxide produced from the burning process could be stripped out and backfilled into the cavities created beneath the surface using a technology that was easier than the carbon capture and storage (CCS) method that is proposed for use by power stations. However, the methane gas produced will also emit carbon dioxide when it is burnt.

Catherine Bond, chief executive, said that Clean Coal planned to conduct seismic and bore-hole surveys over the next 12 to 18 months. If the surveys produced promising results, commercial operations could begin in 2014-15, with each site costing an estimated $250 million (£152 million) to develop.

The projects are likely to prove controversial because the sites are close to to big population centres, such as Swansea and Grimsby. Ms Bond said that the Environment Agency would need to grant permission for the projects before drilling could start and that a public relations campaign was planned to inform local people about the technology and how it worked. She said that the underground fires could be extinguished easily by pumping water down the injection well or by restricting the flow of air.

Opposition to the process in Australia has been modest because the onshore sites lie in remote areas, far from areas with large populations.

UGC technology was invented in Britain about a century ago but has been refined recently through the use of advanced seismic technology and directional drilling developed by the oil industry. Ms Bond said that UGC had become commercially viable in Britain with the advent of this new technology and because high oil prices had improved the economics.

Enormous deposits of coal are known to lie beneath the North Sea, extending from onshore deposits that have been mined in Britain. Offshore exploration for oil has also shown the presence of coal in many areas. Ms Bond said that, within 20 years, UGC could supply a large amount of Britain’s power needs, with some projects being developed far offshore using former oil platforms.

---------------

big population centres Grimsby??? ha ha ha

seriously sounds a great idea in principle and as long as coupled with carbon capture, seems a good idea as it gives us a breathing space to develop renewables (concentrating on tidal) and cleaner (fusion) nuclear power...

The only thing is this alone wont stop global climate change.. its probably too late, and the best bet would be to adapt to a future climate now...

[legolamb]

Would like to see this adopted by one of the parties with an actual chance of implementing it.

From the Glasgow Forum

Lib Dems unveil wind turbine plans




11 February, 2010


Party leader Nick Clegg said it was “scandalous” that 90% of the £1.75bn contract for a wind farm off the Kent coast was going abroad because the UK lacked the facilities to build the turbines.

He said his party’s proposals could create 57,000 new jobs and help cities which had been hit hardest by unemployment.

Under the plans, all port authorities on the North Sea and Irish Sea would be able to bid for a share of a £400M pot to convert seven shipyards, with towns like Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull, Middlesbrough, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Glasgow expected to be in the running.

Mr Clegg said that the scheme would also help the party meet their target of increasing the proportion of UK electricity that comes from renewables to 40% by 2020.

A further £100M would be invested in training and testing facilities, including at universities with specialist engineering research units, such as Loughborough, Durham and Newcastle.

Launching the plan during a visit to a former shipyard in Newcastle, the Lib Dem leader will say: “We need to make sure we come out of this recession with a rebalanced and green economy. Our plans would act as a huge boost for Britain’s budding wind industry and create nearly 60,000 jobs in many shipyard cities where unemployment is a huge problem.

“New off-shore turbines, with blades the size of the London Eye, need to be built and launched from modern docks, so we need to upgrade our shipyards to take advantage of this massive opportunity.”

[livin' hull]

one of the major parties supporting UK manufacturing ?

I've never laughed so hard in my life!!!

(actually its a grest idea, proves the libdems are the only party thinking long term)

[ChrisG (Hull)]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/8522644.stm

Firm plans coastal biomass power station in Hull

DONG said the plan would regenerate the vacant plot of land
An energy company has announced plans for a multi-million pound biomass power station on the East Yorkshire coast.

The plant, near Queen Elizabeth Dock in east Hull, would be capable of supplying enough power for 500,000 homes, Danish firm DONG Energy said.

It would use waste wood to generate up to 300 megawatts of electricity.

The plant would be built on an 80,000 sq m (861,000 sq ft) site on the estate, which is owned by Associated British Ports (ABP).

ABP and DONG are also working on plans for a new £100m shipping berth next to the power station, which would handle imported biomass fuel for the plant but could also be used by other ABP customers.

'Economic boost'

ABP said a "significant number" of jobs would be created during the berth's construction phase and during its operational life.

Ian Crummack, from DONG Energy, said: "The Humber Estuary location has a lot of potential, particularly because it offers the advantage of bringing biomass to the power station via water.

"This greatly reduces the need to transport the fuel by road and would therefore reduce the power station's carbon footprint and impact on the local transport network.

"In addition, the site we are considering is reclaimed land that is currently vacant so developing a modern biomass facility would regenerate this land and bring employment into the area."

DONG said it would consult with Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire councils and local communities before submitting any planning application.

The two councils have welcomed the proposals.

Hull council leader Carl Minns said the plans could give a "much needed economic boost to the area".

[ChrisG (Hull)]

East Hull bio-mass plant could create jobs
Friday, February 19, 2010, 06:30
http://www.thisishullandeastriding.c...l/article.html

Hundreds of jobs could be created if plans for a multi-million pound power station in east Hull gets the go-ahead.

DONG Energy, Denmark's largest power company, has unveiled proposals to build a wood-burning plant near Queen Elizabeth Dock.

As first reported on the Mail's website yesterday, it will be capable of generating enough power to meet the energy needs of 500,000 homes.

The project, called Humber Renewables, could be up and running by 2016.

If the scheme get approved, hundreds of construction jobs will be created over a four-year period.

The announcement comes at a time when unemployment in the region has reached its highest level for 13 years.

Some 15,000 people are claiming Jobseekers allowance in Hull, with another 7,477 in the East Riding.

Ian Crummack, spokesman for DONG Energy, said: "The number of people constructing this plant would be big.

"There would be hundreds of people involved although it is a little early to say exact figures.

"It is going to be a major project."

Mr Crummack said the company would work hard to involve the local community in their plans.

He said: "We want to develop the plant so that it offers the maximum benefit to the local community for employment and other things as well.

"There is a number of things we can and cannot do, parts of this plant will be highly specialised pieces of equipment which will have to be supplied from wherever in the world does it best – that is just a necessity.

"There is EU legislation which means we can't have a postcode employment policy.

"What we can do is work with people like Job Centre Plus in the area to make sure those jobs that do come up have been very well advertised in the local community."

DONG's plans for a biomass plant cover an 80,000 sq metre site on the Associated British Port estate.

The company is now launching a widespread consultation process with both Hull and East Riding Councils and the local community prior to submitting their planning application.

The hope to have completed this process by the end of the year.

It is thought the scheme is likely to be the first in the region to go before a new national body set up to decide on major planning applications.

The Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) was launched in October last year.

Its chairman is Sir Michael Pitt, the former Humberside County Council senior engineer who carried out the national review into the summer 2007 floods.

The IPC has been set up by the Government as an independent body to make decisions on applications regarded as nationally significant infrastructure projects.

These are defined as large-scale facilities that support the economy and vital public services.

As well as new energy plants, likely schemes to be considered by the IPC are expected to include airports, railways, motorways, large wind farms, reservoirs, harbours and sewage treatment works.

Critics have claimed the views of local people will be ignored under the new system, which has effectively taken planning powers away from local councils.

But Sir Michael said the IPC will be actively encouraging local people to have their say.

"I would urge anyone with an interest in a project to register at the appropriate time to have their say.

"This opportunity will be widely publicised locally in the areas in which projects are proposed, by the IPC as well as the project promoter.

"The IPC will ensure individuals and groups receive improved opportunities to have their views fully considered and taken into account.

"Indeed the IPC will not allow applications to proceed if Commissioners believe that the promoter's public consultation has been inadequate," he added.

[legolamb]

With a bit of luck, it could look something like this:

http://www.designlaunches.com/buildi...mass_plant.php

[Dazzar86]

doubt it, bet it'll be more like that crap thing they're showing as a pic in the HDM.

[livin' hull]

probably more like this... (an existing DONG biomass plant in Denmark)

[legolamb]

More info on the Big Dong Story (sorry!)

Docks site where green jobs will blossom

0 Comments | Hull Daily Mail, Feb 19, 2010 | by ANGUS YOUNG
123Next ..WITH unemployment in Hull spiralling, proposals to build a huge new bio-mass power plant are well-timed.

If the new Dong Energy plant near Queen Elizabeth Dock, in east Hull, gets the go-ahead, it could transform the region's prospects by creating hundreds of jobs and making East Yorkshire a centre for green energy.

The proposed 80,000sqm station, which will be fuelled by wood- chip, would take four years to build and could be in operation by 2016.

Council leaders have welcomed the prospect of major new investment in the area.

They believe the development of renewable energy is the key to reviving the region's economic prospects.

"The environmentally-responsible site will create construction jobs and permanent jobs for local people for years to come."

East Riding Council leader Councillor Stephen Parnaby also welcomed the move by the Danish energy group.

He said: "This major investment is fantastic news for the local economy, particularly given the global economic downturn."

The station would also be a catalyst for the construction of a new deep-water shipping berth by Associated British Ports (ABP).

The two companies have signed an exclusivity contract to develop the project on ABP-owned land.

The planned Hull Riverside Bulk Terminal (HRBT) would be located next to the Dong plant in the Port of Hull.

This will be used as part of its planning application, along with an environmental impact assessment.

Links Dong Energy www.dongenergy.co.uk Associated British Ports www.abports.co.uk Hull City Council www.hullcc.gov.uk Empire of the great Danes THE company behind the proposed bio-mass plant in Hull is one of Europe's leading energy players.

Based in Denmark, Dong Energy was founded in 2006 after the merger of six established Danish energy companies.

The merger brought together specialist areas, from oil and natural gas exploration and production to the development of power stations, wind turbine schemes and securing energy resources from waste and straw.

The group is Denmark's leading energy producer. It produces more than half of the country's power and operates about 40 of cent of the country's district heating systems.

The group's power division, which would be responsible for the Hull plant, currently generates electricity and heat at a number of thermal power stations in Denmark and supplies renewable energy in the UK, Sweden and Poland through a number of similar projects.

Renewable energy sources accounted for 14 per cent of the group's power generation in 2008 and it aims to dramatically increase that figure over the next few years.

A spokesman said: "It is Dong Energy's long-term objective for energy production to be carried out with zero CO2 emissions, while at the same time maintaining a high security of supply."

The group recently unveiled plans to build an offshore wind farm of up to 65 turbines about 8km off the east coast.

If given the go-ahead, the Westermost Rough site would lie directly east of Tunstall.
ll seed-crushing firm Cargill is ferrying crushed rape oil by barge from its Stoneferry Road factory to two bio-diesel processing facilities in Immingham.

The city-based JR Rix group became the first company in the country to produce commercially available bio-diesel fuel using recycled vegetable oils from the food industry and oil seed crops.

Opened in 2000 as one of the largest energy plants of its kind the UK, the gas-powered Saltend Cogeneration Plant not only provides steam-based power to the neighbouring BP site, but also generates and exports electricity to the national grid.

Proposals to build a major new bio-mass power plant in east Hull could herald a shift towards green energy in the region which would provide a major jobs boost.

Pioneer plant close to completion ANOTHER bio-mass plant is coming close to completion just a stone's throw away from the future site of the Dong power station.

The Vivergo Fuels bio-ethanol plant at the Saltend refinery is due to open in the last quarter of this year.

The plant is a joint venture between BP, British Sugar and DuPont.

The building of the Pounds 200m plant has created about 450 construction jobs and Vivergo will employ between 70 and 80 full- time staff when it becomes fully operational.

The plant will also provide a huge boost for local farmers as it will require 1.1million tonnes of wheat every year from within a 40- mile radius of the site in order to produce the ethanol necessary to generate energy.

The plant will use enzymes to break down the starch in malted wheat and convert it into sugars. These, in turn, undergo a distillation process that will result in the production of ethanol at a concentration of 99.9 per cent.

Vivergo has already begun its recruitment drive, with a scheme aimed at training local unemployed people.

[legolamb]

Siemens looks to East Coast plant

Published Date: 30 March 2010
By Bernard Ginns Business Editor
GLOBAL engineering giant Siemens plans to invest £80m in developing an offshore wind turbine manufacturing plant in the UK.

The German company, which is considering sites along the East Coast and in the North East, said the project would create 700 jobs.

Siemens is the second multinational to confirm it is planning new manufacturing facilities in Britain following the ADVERTISEMENT

Government's announcement of a £60m competition to help to develop port sites..

Andreas Goss, UK chief executive, said: "The UK government has created a stable framework to attract inward investment in renewables and offshore wind power in particular.

"The competition for land development, announced in the Budget last week, gives us confidence that the appropriate UK port infrastructure can be made available to support our production plans."

Siemens said it is working closely with the regional development agencies and its partners to find the best location. Sites under consideration are believed to include land around the Humber owned by Able UK and Associated British Ports.

Simon Hill, executive director of business at Yorkshire Forward, wecolmed the announcement and described it as coup for the UK. He said: "The most important part of the battle has been won and we have won this for the UK against fierce European competition.

"We have a strong regional proposition with a number of sites on both the north and south banks of the Humber that offer Siemens various options in terms of manufacturing locations."

He added: "While we will of course fight for our regional benefit as a first priority, we also recognise that in the national interest we have to be more joined up where appropriate in locating these big global investments."

The North of England as a whole would benefit from the extended supply chain and Yorkshire Forward is talking to counterparts in the North East about opportunities for companies, said Mr Hill.

Siemens said it would make its decision about the exact location when the 12-week competition process for land development is complete.

Up to £60m in funding will be available to developers with a viable plan, said a spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

She said the Government will expect bidders to demonstrate they have enough land, suitable access to transport facilities and the right surfacing.

"They are also expected to show that they have companies that are interested," said the spokeswoman.

Siemens said the new plant will help it accommodate demand driven by offshore windfarms planned for UK waters.

The East Coast of Yorkshire, from Whitby down to Hull, is well placed to benefit economically from the offshore sites planned for Hornsea, Dogger Bank and Norfolk.

Last week, GE announced plans to spend £100m in building offshore wind turbine manufacturing facilities in the UK.

A third multinational, which has not been named, is understood to be considering developing similar facilities and has looked at Humber.

[legolamb]

The tidal stream power turbine which Neptune Renewable Energy is going to test in the Humber Estuary. Water-flow moving over the turbines produces energy.

ADVERTISEMENT

Published Date: 06 April 2010
By Bernard Ginns Business Editor
A PROTOTYPE tidal stream power turbine is set to be trialled in the Humber Estuary later this month.

Neptune Renewable Energy, based in North Ferriby, hopes to commission an array of turbines to create a clean power plant in the estuary.

The company will ship the £1.3m steel demonstrator from a Sunderland shipyard to the Humber in mid-April. Neptune will then carry out tests on the new technology.

Andrew Laver, a company director, said: "The key element is just how effective it is going to be. Twenty of these devices will produce enough electricity for between 8,000-12,000 homes a year. Once the demonstrator has been proved we will build a further 20 devices, all for the Humber."

Sheffield lawyer Paul Firth, one of the backers, said: "The clever bit about it is how the water flow is directed onto the turbine. The design and seaworthiness has been checked by Lloyd's."

Mr Laver added: "It uses some fins – which we call accelerator plates – to trim the flow of water onto the edges of the tips of the turbine.

"It's a very complicated algorithm that has been written to achieve optimum output. We will work on the demonstrator to maximise the output.

"While this is ongoing the intention is to create a new design which is fundamentally similar in that it will be a turbine sitting within a barge. The difference will be the structure.

"The intention is to create a kit of standard steel sections which can be bolted together in proximity to the site."

Mr Firth said: "Future production models will be like an assembly, a pre-pack Ikea-type thing that you can get into containers. We are looking at using composite materials. We are hoping to make them in Yorkshire."

Professor Jack Hardisty of the University of Hull, who is an expert in tidal and estuary flows, devised the technnology.

Mr Laver is managing director of Sheffield-based Arnold Laver timber merchant.

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Last Updated: 06 April 2010 10:39 AM
Source: n/a
Location: Yorkshire

[Dazzar86]

If a professor in Hull thought of the technology, why are people from Sunderland building it and people from Sheffield gaining from it? ...soo many clueless idiots bang on about British jobs for British workers, how about local jobs for local workers??? No wonder the local economy is soo rubbish!

[MattN]

Yeah, Hessle Road jobs for Hessle Road workers!!!!!

Maybe the expertise to come up with the idea was in Hull, but not to make it, with manufacturers of such things actually present in Sunderland?

[Dazzar86]

There are many marine engineering companies in the Hull area.

[MattN]

Maybe they aren't as well suited to this particular piece of kit?

Not saying this is the answer like, but there are no doubt several possibilities. Just thought it was worth pointing out that because something is conceived in one place, it doesn't necessarily follow that it will be made (or indeed used) there too.

[livin' hull]

also the prototyping stage is vastly different from actual production stage...

but keeping my fingers crossed for this, as the tides are always flowing and this should be a good source of clean energy