Utility Week

4 | 16TH - 22ND MARCH 2018 | UTILITY WEEK Seven days... Nuclear fusion 'on the brink of being realised' The dream of nuclear fusion is on the brink of being realised, accord- ing to a major new US initiative that says it will put fusion power on the grid within 15 years. The project, a collaboration between scientists at MIT and a pri- vate company, will use a new class of high-temperature superconduc- tor to create the world's first fusion reactor that produces more energy than needs to be put in to get the fusion reaction going. The Guardian, 8 March Protest held against wastewater changes Villagers in Gairloch in northern Scotland have held a protest against what they call a downgrading of its wastewater treatment plant. Scottish Water has proposed using an ultraviolet filtration system on sewage for only five months of the year; outside of the bathing sea- son, wastewater would be treated in settling tanks. Campaigners say the preferred UV system would not be used all year for the sake of saving "a few thousand pounds". BBC News, 9 March Cape Town 'Day Zero' will be avoided in 2018 Despite falling reservoir levels, officials in Cape Town say the city's water supply will not be turned off in 2018. Previously, the city council had warned that "Day Zero" could happen in the first half of the year. Executive deputy mayor Ian Neilson said: "The city now projects that, if there was to be no rainfall, Day Zero would arrive on 27 August 2018. As this date falls deep within the normal rainfall period, it is no longer appropriate to project the date without any consideration of rainfall. Thus, provided we continue our current water savings efforts, Day Zero can be avoided completely this year." The Independent, 7 March STORY BY NUMBERS National media Eon could cut 5,000 jobs with Innogy acquisition E on could cut up to 5,000 jobs as it expects to make savings of €600 million to €800 million under a major asset swap with RWE, which will see Eon acquire Innogy. In a joint statement released by Eon and RWE on 12 March, the companies said "initial cal culations" show the integration process will lead to a reduction of a maximum of 5,000 jobs of the "significantly more than 70,000 jobs" at the enlarged Eon. It said the cuts would equate to less than 7 per cent of the workforce, but that Eon antici pates creating "thousands of new jobs in the coming decade". "Structural change is always associated with uncertainty for affected employees. Eon and RWE are convinced that, by combining forces, each of the business areas that are touched by this trans action will have better prospects than before," said the statement. RWE does not expect any staff reductions in the coming years as a result of the transaction. The deal, first announced in principle on 11 March, was approved by both companies' boards the following day and will see Eon acquire RWE's 76.8 per cent stake in Innogy. Via an asset exchange, RWE will receive Eon's renewables business, as well as Innogy's renewables and gas storage businesses. It will also receive a 16.67 per cent stake in the enlarged Eon and will pay the company €1.5 billion. Eon will make a voluntary public takeover offer to Innogy's minority shareholders at a total value of €40 per share. The companies claim the transaction will "create two stronger" European energy com panies; Eon will concentrate on retail and networks, while RWE will focus on renewables and other forms of generation. The deal is expected to complete by the end of 2019, but until then Eon, RWE and Innogy will remain separate businesses and competitors, according to the statement. The voluntary public take over offer period is expected to commence in early May 2018, following approval of the offer document by BaFin (the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority). KP Record electricity switches in February Latest figures from Energy UK show 660,000 customers switched electricity supplier last month, the highest ever recorded. 24,000 customers switched per day during February 27% of customers switched from larger to small and mid-tier suppliers 8% switched from small and mid-tier to larger suppliers 16% of switches were between small and mid-tier suppliers 49% of switches were between larger suppliers 9 in 10 customers were happy with the switching process "Through all of our analysis we are yet to identify a credible scenario that meets the 2050 carbon targets without gas" National Grid says it is not feasible to switch over to electric heating on the scale required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 80 per cent of 1990 levels by the middle of this century.

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