Utility Week

4 | 20TH - 26TH JULY 2018 | UTILITY WEEK Seven days... Elight to invest €100m after acquiring UK rival Elight, a Dublin-based energy- saving lighting specialist, has acquired UK company Energy Works Limited for an undisclosed sum. The Irish company is also hoping to double the number of people it employs over the next 12 months and will invest €100 million in sustainable projects over the next three years. Rebranding as Elight with immediate effect, the former Energy Works had revenues of £3.5 million in 2017 and completed more than 100 projects for commercial clients in the UK and the Gulf States. The Irish Times, 16 July Russia has $50bn for Iranian energy Russia is ready to invest $50 billion in Iran's oil and gas sectors in a bid to create stronger ties between Tehran and Moscow. A senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, said during a state visit to Moscow that military and technical co- operation is of "major importance" to Iran. A Russian government official confirmed the investment plans on condition of anonymity. Financial Times, 13 July Scots waterworks moves 100 miles A new water treatment works in Scotland has been transported over 100 miles by road and ferry. The transportable treatment unit (TTU) was dismantled into 12 mod- ules aer being built at Ross-shire Engineering in Muir of Ord. The modules were taken 128 miles by lorry to Uig in Skye and from there by ferry to Lochmaddy over a period of three weeks. Project manager Anoushka Ainslie-McAlpine, of Scottish Water, said the project is due to be com- pleted by the end of the year. BBC, 16 July STORY BY NUMBERS National media Government earmarks funds for electric-powered aircraft A project to build an elec- tric-powered commercial aircra is one of the big winners from an announcement on 16 July of £343 million-worth of government and industry investment in the aviation industry. Greg Clark, secretary of state for Business, Energy and Indus- trial Strategy (BEIS), unveiled the funding on the first day of the international Farnborough Airshow, which takes place every two years. The potentially revolution- ary E-Fan X project, which aims to demonstrate that hybrid electric propulsion can be used for commercial flights, has been awarded £68 million. Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens are collaborating to develop the project, which could lead to a re-evaluation of how aircra are designed. Rolls-Royce's ACCEL project to design, build and flight test a high-performance electric power train has received a share of £70 million funding. Clark also announced that the govern- ment is embarking on talks with aviation companies on a sector deal for the industry. Aviation minister Baroness Sugg said: "The development of quicker, quieter and cleaner aircra will transform the UK's transport market and open up new and more sustainable ways for passengers to travel between our cities and regions and across the globe." In order to comply with the UK's statutory 2050 target to reduce carbon emissions by 80 per cent, the Committee on Climate Change has calculated that aviation greenhouse gases must be cut to 2005 levels despite a 60 per cent anticipated increase in flights by that date. Two of National Grid's four Future Energy Scenarios, which outline the most credible path- ways for the development of the UK energy industry, envisage the UK missing its 2050 emissions reduction targets. DB People will pay to go green A survey from Orsted exploring consumer attitudes to renewables indi- cated the strong commercial ben- efits of pursuing a green strategy. 73% of UK consumers would choose companies that use renewable energy over those that don't. ¼ are willing to pay a premium for renewable energy. 86% of consumers believe it's worth buying products made using 100 per cent renewable energy. 57% of consumers preferred logos displaying a green message. ¾ of consumers are willing to choose electronic goods made 100 per cent from renewables. "We need as a sector to think about the bigger picture about transferring water from one region to another" Ofwat chief executive Rachel Fletcher tells a Defra committee she wants water companies to collaborate more over water transfers in times of need.

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