Three articles
- RSPB sets out their vision for offshore renewables
- Appeals against RSPB decision in Scotland
- Dong pull out of Humber Energy Park
RSPB calls for UK Government support for ‘deep water’ renewable energy
Leading environmental organisation RSPB is calling for a renewed commitment by the UK Government to renewable energy the day after the UK Government’s consultation on whether support for renewable energy projects should continue beyond 2020 closed.
The consultation asks whether subsidy regulations for renewable energy should be changed to allow the Government to support projects due to start between 2020 and 2026. Although the UK Government has recently cut support for onshore wind and solar, it has indicated it will provide further support for offshore wind and potentially other ‘less established’ technologies. RSPB said it welcomes the proposal to formally extend the Government’s powers to fund renewable energy into the 2020s, highlighting the need to boost investor confidence in the UK as a good place to do business for renewable energy. Click here for more information
Wind energy companies appeal against Scottish decision
BusinessGreen Scottish Government lodges also appeals against recent court decisions to overturn planning consent for several high profile wind farms. Mainstream Renewable Power has lodged an appeal in what could prove a significant test case for the Scottish offshore wind industry, following a recent court decision in Scotland to withdraw consent for the proposed 448MW Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm in the Forth of Firth. Planning for the £2bn project was first granted by the Scottish Government in 2014, but the decision drew opposition from conservation charity Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which appealed the decision due to concerns over the impact on bird populations. Click here for more information
Dong Energy withdraws from Able’s Immingham marine energy park
A major investor in a planned marine energy park at Immingham on the Humber estuary has withdrawn from the scheme.
Dong Energy had been expected to use the park as a hub for its offshore wind operations but said it no longer believed it was cost effective. The company is currently developing one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms off the east coast. Able UK, the developer of the marine energy park, said it remained committed to the project. The energy park, which is described as a bespoke port facility for the renewable energy sector, was granted planning approval in 2013 but legal challenges delayed construction. Click here for more information
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