wind energy
StatoilHydro and Siemens have installed the world’s first large-scale floating wind turbine in about 220 metres of water some 12 kilometres southeast of Karmøy in Norway. The Hywind project was developed by StatoilHydro, and Siemens supplied the SWT-2.30-megawatt wind turbine, which has a rotor diameter of 82 metres.
environment
The outgoing European Commission’s environmental record is worryingly off target (PDF), according to the “Green 10” coalition of leading environmental organisations. The coalition’s assessment gave the Barroso Commission an overall mark of 4.4 out of 10. The “Green 10” report examines successes and failures in 12 policy
global warming
While the mayor is spending more on the environment, it’s not clear how those expenses are benefitting the environment or climate change, a new report from the London Assembly reveals. The Assembly Budget and Performance Committee report found that less than one-third of the total Greater London Authority (GLA)
anaerobic digestion
London Mayor Boris Johnson, today launched a major initiative to cut both landfill rates and carbon emissions by converting London’s food waste into eco-fuel. Currently, London produces nearly three million tonnes of organic waste, mainly from food. Nearly two-thirds of this waste is burnt in incinerators or buried in
energy efficiency
Hospitals, leisure centres, local authorities and other public sector organisations might be eligible for new energy efficiency loans being offered by the Government in partnership with Salix Finance and the Carbon Trust. A total of £51.5 million in interest-free loans are being made available to help public sector organisations
Business Secretary Lord Peter Mandelson is having a series of meetings in the UK and Germany this week to discuss Vauxhall and its future as part of GM Europe. Lord Mandelson has already met with a number of senior representatives from the Unite union and local MPs of the Luton
solar energy
UK-based NextEnergy Capital, a bank specialising in renewable energy, has chosen Italy for its next solar power investments: four Enerqos solar farms to be built in Apulia. Under an agreement signed last year, NextEnergy Capital will invest €1 billion in Enerqos for European solar farm construction. The total value of
carbon reduction commitment
UK businesses will face a £1.4 billion bill for carbon credits by April 2011, according to research presented at a recent business carbon and energy summit in London. The event was hosted by IMServ, a UK-based carbon and energy consultancy and part of the Invensys Group. “We expect retail
biodiversity
Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) say coral reefs throughout the Caribbean have been comprehensively “flattened” over the past 40 years. The collapse of reef structure has serious implications for biodiversity and coastal defences — a double whammy for fragile coastal communities in the region. While scientists already knew
cleantech
Cleantech news as it happens — check back for regular updates: * On 8 June, the solar observatory Sunrise was launched from the Esrange Space Centre in Kiruna, Sweden. A gigantic helium balloon, carrying approximately 1 million cubic metres of gas, is now carrying the largest solar telescope ever to lift off
cleantech
So what else is happening in the world of cleantech? Here are some headlines and developments you might have missed: * The Government’s new packaging strategy, “Making the most of packaging,” looks at the packaging of the future and what our shop shelves and kitchen cupboards should look like if
smart meters
GE Energy technology is helping the UK Government better develop its objective to have smart meters in every home by 2020. Using GE smart meters as information collection and reporting devices, a Government-sponsored Energy Demand Research Project (EDRP) study is tracking energy use by time of day. The in-depth research
