Utility Week

4 | 8TH - 14TH MARCH 2019 | UTILITY WEEK Seven days... Shell faces charges over Nigeria oil deal Prosecutors in the Netherlands are preparing criminal charges against Royal Dutch Shell, stepping up the legal pressure on the energy com- pany over a 2011 oil deal in Nigeria worth $1.3 billion. The company said last week that authorities were "preparing to prosecute Royal Dutch Shell plc for criminal charges" related to its acquisition with Italian rival Eni of OPL 245, a prized offshore explora- tion and production block. The Dutch prosecutor's office said that although the criminal investigation into the company had not yet finished, it had concluded that Shell committed "prosecutable offences". Current and former execu- tives have denied wrongdoing. Financial Times, 3 March US coal plants 'are contaminating water' Almost every coal-fired power plant in the US is contaminating groundwater with unsafe levels of toxic pollution, according to the first comprehensive analysis of the consequences of coal ash waste disposal. Of the 265 US power plants that monitor groundwater, 242 have reported unsafe levels of at least one pollutant derived from coal ash, which is the remnants of coal a•er it is burned for energy. More than half such facilities report unsafe levels of arsenic. The Guardian, 4 March Storm Freya: high winds close roads High winds closed part of the M4 and another major road was flooded as Storm Freya moved across Wales on Sunday. At one point, more than 1,200 homes were without power. The highest wind speed was recorded in Mumbles, where the Met Office said there were gusts of 76mph (122km/h). BBC News, 3 March National media SMETS1 smart meters to have 'full functionality' from May F irst generation SMETS1 smart meters should have "full functionality" from May, according to the government official oversee- ing the smart meter rollout. He also revealed that there were nearly 450,000 SMETS2 devices deployed. Oliver Sinclair, head of consumer advocacy and engage- ment at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy's (BEIS) smart meters implementation programme, told a meeting last week of the all-party parliamentary group on energy costs the Data Communi- cation Company's upgrade of its systems means SMETS1 devices will have "full functionality" from May this year, enabling customers to continue enjoying smart services if they switch from one supplier to another, while those who had lost func- tionality on their existing meters would regain it. He said: "The programme is at a key transition point. Things are getting to a more positive place. "Benefits are not theoretical any more. While there are challenges, a significant number of people have had a good experience. "We know that consumers with SMETS2 meters have already been switching suppliers and keeping their smart services. The programme has had a long gestation period but we are now seeing some of the benefits." Robert Cheesewright, director of corporate affairs at Smart Energy GB, admitted that the rollout had been held back in some parts of the country by a shortage of installation capacity. "The ability of suppliers to fulfil demand doesn't exist everywhere, so if people want a smart meter, they can't always get one. Technical issues have reduced suppliers' ability to fulfil demand." Around 3.7 million people who have expressed an interest in having a smart meter have not yet had one installed, while one million have never heard back a˜er being told they are on a waiting list. DB "Renewable energy is rapidly transforming the power sector, but the way we heat our homes hasn't changed in decades" Ovo announced a partnership between its technology arm Kaluza and the heating and ventilation division of consumer electronics manufacturer Glen Dimplex to help drive forward the decarbonisation of heating. STORY BY NUMBERS Public support for water nationalisation dries up The number of people in favour of nationalising Britain's water companies has fallen substantially, a ComRes survey has found. 42% proportion of Brit- ish adults who said they support water nationalisation. 37% said they oppose it. 33% have confidence in a combination of local councils and trade unions running the water companies. 99% trust their current water company to provide a reliable service. 88% trust their com- pany to take away wastewater and sewage and deal with it responsibly.

• Cover