Utility Week

4 | 26TH APRIL - 2ND MAY 2019 | UTILITY WEEK Seven days... Dutch engineers build world's biggest sun- seeking solar farm Dutch engineers are building what will be the world's largest archipelago of islands made up of sun-tracking solar panels. In a development that is to become the largest of its type in the world, construction will begin this year on 15 solar islands on the Andijk reservoir in north Holland. The islands, containing 73,500 panels, will have the sunflower-like ability to move to face the light. The Guardian, 21 April Oil prices hover near 2019 highs Oil prices hovered near 2019 peaks in early trading this week aƒer Washington abruptly moved to end all Iran sanctions waivers by May, pressuring importers to stop buying from Tehran. Brent crude futures were at $74.33 per barrel at 0051 GMT, up 0.4 per cent from their last close and not far off 2019 highs of $74.52 reached on Monday. The US has demanded that buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by 1 May or face sanctions, ending six months of waivers that allowed Iran's eight biggest buyers, most of them in Asia, to continue buying limited volumes. Reuters, 23 April South Africa in $355m Eskom bailout South Africa's blackout-prone state power monopoly Eskom required an emergency $355 million bailout to stop a catastrophic debt default this month, according to the country's Treasury. Tito Mboweni, South Africa's finance minister, wrote to the country's parliament this week that he was forced to authorise the pre- viously undisclosed bailout when a Chinese state lender failed to release promised cash to the utility. Financial Times, 19 April National media Energy UK outlines plan to 'kick-start' transformation E nergy UK has set out in its Future of Energy report, published on 23 April, proposals it believes could jump-start the transformation of the energy sector. The report outlines the trade body's vision of the future for the sector to "better deliver for customers and to decarbonise the economy". In the report's foreword, Energy UK chief executive Lawrence Slade said the central task was to "meet the challenges of rising customer expectations, decarbonising our economy and keeping pace with rapid techno- logical advances". He said that with "the right direction and structures in place, the energy sector can deliver" for all customers. Energy UK called for specific actions to "kick-start" the energy transition. These included: changes to the way energy companies are regulated; targets for energy effi- ciency and low-carbon heating; mandating smart charging for EVs; levelling the playing field for low-carbon technologies; and using flexibility technologies in place of network reinforcement. Slade said there was a danger that progress made so far could be wasted "unless we press ahead" with decarbonising heat and transport and "get serious about making our homes and businesses energy efficient". Also writing in the report's foreword, Citizens Advice's chief executive Gillian Guy said: "The coming years could bring an even greater revolution of how to deliver energy, with data and technology unlocking new opportunities for consumers." She said key challenges included "informing, encourag- ing and protecting consumers who have for decades grown accustomed to the status quo". Guy said it was essential that the transition was not only fair, but clearly seen to be so. AJ See Lawrence Slade's Chief Executive's View, p27 "At the end of the day we can't control who buys our business, but what we can do is do the best job we can" The chief executive of Electricity North West, Peter Emery, has admitted that the company is undergoing a strategic review that could lead to a sale of the business. STORY BY NUMBERS March energy switching numbers rise Figures pub- lished by Energy UK have shown that the number of customers switching their electricity sup- plier continues to rise. 29% Increase in switching for March 2019 over March 2018. 625,503 Total count of switches that occurred, a 36 per cent increase on Feb- ruary this year. 265,562 Number of customers who switched from large suppliers to small or mid-tier ones, which was the biggest area of movement. 65,783 customers moved from small or mid-tier suppliers to large ones, the smallest subsec- tion of switches. Decarbonisation hit the headlines this week when mass protests by Extinction Rebellion brought parts of London to a halt

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