Utility Week

4 | 21ST - 27TH SEPTEMBER 2018 | UTILITY WEEK Seven days... Trump's trade war could hit US energy US gas is under threat as a trade war with China escalates. China may target American LNG in retali- ation for a fresh round of duties announced this week by the US. China said last month it was consid- ering a 25 per cent tariff on the fuel. The move would be a setback for a burgeoning energy relationship that was on track to be a boon for both economies. The move would also add new pressure on the US LNG industry, which is competing with Russia, Australia and Qatar for market share in China, the world's biggest gas buyer. Bloomberg, 18 September Oz: drought-stricken farmers hit out on climate change stance "This drought has really hit our family hard," says Longreach farmer Jody Brown. "Climate change is making the droughts more severe." Those two sentences are the open- ing lines to an advertisement chal- lenging the federal government's stance on climate change and the drought in Australia's eastern states. The 30-second ad airs this week and will be beamed into politi- cally important suburban areas of Australia's three largest capital cit- ies during the rugby league's grand final on 30 September. The Guardian, 15 September Massachusetts rocked by gas explosions At least one person died and others were injured in three gas explosions in Andover, North Andover and Law- rence in Massachusetts last week. Some 8,600 gas meters in the area had to be shut off. Hundreds of people were evacuated and gas and electricity services were cut to prevent further incidents. A local fire chief described it as an "over- whelming event" that resembled "Armageddon". BBC News, 16 September STORY BY NUMBERS National media SSE and Innogy appoint chairman for new supplier S SE and Innogy have appointed Martin Read as chairman designate of the new supplier they are set to be forming with the merger of SSE's retail arm and Npower. He is due to take up the post on 1 October 2018 and will lead the recruitment of the remaining board members for the new business. The two companies have already appointed Katie Bicker- staffe as chief executive desig- nate and Gordon Boyd as chief financial officer designate. They said that, like Bickerstaffe and Boyd, Read will have no involve- ment in the running of either of the existing organisations. Read is currently chairman of logistics company Wincanton and the government's Senior Salaries Review Body. He will be stepping down as chairman of the Low Carbon Contracts Company and the Electricity Settlements Company – the bodies responsible for the administration of contracts for difference and capacity market contracts – on 30 September 2018, and as chairman of the Remuneration Consultants Group prior to the formation and listing of the new supplier. Roles previously held by Read include chief executive of IT ser- vices company Logica, where he oversaw the company's merger with CMG in 2002, and chairman of electronics and technology firm Laird. He has also served as non-executive director on the boards of Lloyd's, Invensys, Aegis Group, British Airways, Boots and Asda. Commenting on the appoint- ment, SSE chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies said: "We are delighted to appoint Martin as chairman designate in what is another important milestone on the journey to establishing a new, independent player in the British energy supply and services market." Chief operating officer for retail at Innogy, Martin Herr- mann, said: "Read's confirma- tion as chairman designate, with the impressive experience and credentials he brings to the role, complements the designated board appointments for the new company. TG Tidal turbine will break records Simec Atlantis Energy (SAE) has unveiled the design for what it claims will be the largest and most powerful single rotor tidal turbine available on the commercial market. 2MW Maximum output of the AR2000. 24m It will be able to accommodate rotors with a diam- eter of between 20 and 24 metres. £5m Amount SAE has spent developing the AR2000 over the past two years in an effort to make tidal power com- petitive with other forms of renewable energy. 15 yrs SAE's Drew Blaxland says the AR2000 "marks the culmination of 15 years of relentless experimentation". "Unlike residents in many other cities, drivers in London often do not have access to off-street parking" Sir John Armitt, chair of the government's National Infrastructure Commission, calls for London councils to earmark parking spaces for electric vehicles.

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