Utility Week - authoritative, impartial and essential reading for senior people within utilities, regulators and government
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UTILITY WEEK | 28TH APRIL - 4TH MAY 2017 | 5 The construction of the world's largest floating windfarm is set to create up to 200 jobs at Kishorn Dry Dock and see the Scottish facility active for the first time in 23 years. The Kincardine Offshore Windfarm, owned by Pilot Offshore Renewables and Atkins, will see eight turbines deployed 15km off the coast, with a capacity of 60MW. The Kishorn site will be used for the construction of the turbines' concrete sub-structures. Work will start in August and the windfarm should be commissioned in 2018. WATER Companies urged to boost investment in infrastructure UK water companies need to significantly boost their infra- structure investment, according to a new report. The report, Long Term Investment in Infrastructure, was carried out by business optimisation provider Servelec Technologies on behalf of UKWIR, in partnership with Fron- tier Economics and Atkins Global. Due to be published by UKWIR soon, it will show that UK water companies need to significantly increase levels of expenditure in infrastructure, both in the medium and long term, if current service standards are to be maintained. Without increased expenditure in infrastructure, the 350,000km of water mains and 625,000km of sewers in the UK will begin to fail, the research claims. "The commitment to cap energy prices brings to an end nearly 30 years of UK energy policy thinking that greater competition is the best way to keep prices down and help consumers." Simon Virley, head of power and utilities, KPMG €10.8m Leading UK battery storage company Red T's 2016 revenues, according to its year-end results. 500 In 2016, 36 UK-based renewables companies won more than 500 contracts to work on projects in 43 countries, worth between £50,000 and £30 million each, according to a study by the Renewable Energy Association. Britain could face widespread grid defections and local brownouts if the government fails to prepare for an explosion in decentralised energy over the next decade, a new report by Green Alliance has warned. The think-tank said that falling costs would soon make solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles cost-effective without subsidies, leading to a rapid uptake of the technologies by businesses and households. Brownout fears as EVs take off POOR INTEGRATION OF SMALL-SCALE ENERGY 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 South West grid constraints delay connections by 3-6 years 22% of the UK requires local grid upgrades Businesses defect from the grid EVs Solar Heat pumps Over 50% of the UK has brownouts at peak times 1% of the UK has brownouts at peak times Households defect from the grid Up to 700,000 people have blackouts due to non-smart chargers Non-smart heating raises peak demand by 2.2GW