Latest news with #Seagreen
Irish Examiner
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
What to wear on those hot summer holiday evenings
Once the sun goes down, it's time to ditch the beachwear for a sartorial glow-up. Whether you're sipping cocktails at a beach bar or enjoying a leisurely Mediterranean dinner, your after-sun style deserves to shine. Think bold ruffles, shimmering gold accessories that glow after dark, or a zesty lemon-print playsuit, for a sizzling sunset style. Get The Look Vibrant Co-Ord at Never Fully Dressed Be seen after dark for all the right reasons with this vibrant co-ord, as seen at Never Fully Dressed Sweet Treat Linen Bow Tie Dress, €135, Sinead Keary The Label #ieloves: Sugarcoat your holiday dinner look with a sprinkle of pretty pastels and oversized bows, €135, Sinead Keary The Label. Boho Revival Floral Skirt, €185, Ba&sh at Seagreen Irish Boutique Chic: Embrace the boho revival for a laid-back evening vibe, €185, ba&sh at Seagreen. Pearl Jam Gold Vermeil Pearl Drop Earrings, €155, Loinnir Jewellery Be the girl with the pearl earring as you glisten under the stars, €155, Loinnir Jewellery. Coastal Charm Nautical Charm Belt, €22.95, Zara Add a touch of nautical charm to your look with this gold chain belt, €22.95, Zara. Raspberry Ripple Ruffle Asymmetrical Dress, €59.99, Mango Pocket Friendly: Don't give ruffles the cold shoulder. Instead, go bold for maximum impact, €59.99, Mango. Tropic Heat Ruffle V-Neck Blouse, €99, & Other Stories Turn up the heat in a sizzling red-ruffled blouse, €99, & Other Stories. In Neutral Braided Kitten Heel Sandals, €29.99, Bershka When stepping out for the night, opt for neutral heeled mules for optimum versatility, €29.99, Bershka. Freshly Picked Lemon Print Playsuit, €25.50, H&M When in Rome, give your after-sun style a zesty citrus hit, €25.50, H&M. Ruffle Effect Ruffle Raffia Bucket Bag, €32, Very Let the ruffle effect ripple through to your accessories for a fun beach vibe, €32, Very. Read More Turn up the heat on vacation style with the right accessories
The National
10-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Scotland's high energy bills are the cost of the Union
THE Westminster Government, which is in control of energy policy, has announced it is scrapping plans for zonal energy pricing. The energy secretary Ed Miliband had been considering the plan, which would divide the UK into different energy zones in which electricity pricing would vary according to supply and demand within the zone. If implemented, this could have seen energy-rich areas of the UK, such as Scotland, enjoying much lower electricity prices. Meanwhile, customers in areas of high consumption but low production, would pay more than customers in energy-rich Scotland. The plan would not just benefit Scottish domestic energy consumers, it would also create a boost to the Scottish economy by incentivising industries which are heavy users of electricity to relocate to Scotland, creating jobs and opportunities in Scotland. Energy company Octopus Energy has claimed that the introduction of a zonal energy market in the UK would give Scots some of the cheapest electricity in Europe. Currently, in places like Scotland where supply far outstrips demand, energy production is often switched off at times. Scotland's biggest wind farm – Seagreen – is paid to not generate 71% of the time it could be in operation. As a result, the effective cost of electricity it generates is four times higher than it should be. When an offshore wind farm in Scotland produces more electricity than the network can handle it is paid to turn off, or be "constrained", and a gas-fired power plant in the south of England is paid to turn on. According to Octopus Energy, constraint costs have hit almost £700 million already this year. This money goes to the energy companies, who are being paid to do nothing, giving them an enormous vested interest in retaining the current system. The costs are ultimately transferred to the consumer in the form of higher bills. A zonal energy market would reduce the need to switch off generation by encouraging industries with high energy demand to move their operations to Scotland. These could include chemical, aluminium, and steel manufacturing, and data processing, amongst others. A zonal energy market could potentially create a jobs boom for Scotland and deliver a massive stimulus to the Scottish economy. Naturally, the same would be the case with independence, which would also allow Scotland to reap the financial benefit of exporting its massive surplus of electricity to England at full market price. Zonal pricing could have cut the cost of renewing and updating the country's electricity grid by billions. A report by FTI Consulting predicted overall savings of £52 billion for consumers over 20 years, while another, which was commissioned by Octopus, found the UK would need to spend £27bn less on major grid upgrades in the future. However on Thursday Miliband confirmed that the plan would be abandoned in favour of a single UK-wide pricing structure which Miliband claimed would help ensure that the energy system was 'fair, affordable, secure and efficient'. But really, what this means is that the Labour Party has decided that it is politically more acceptable to keep charging Scots some of the highest electricity prices in Europe so that energy-rich Scotland can continue to subsidise the energy bills of consumers in London and south east England. Your high energy bill is quite literally the cost of the Union. That's a direct subsidy from Scotland to England that anti-independence politicians don't want to talk about when they tell us Scotland needs a fiscal transfer from Westminster in order to survive. The bottom line is that the Westminster parties need the votes of people in southern England more than they need the votes of people in Scotland. If that means Scots will continue to pay excessive amounts for electricity in order to keep energy bills down in Kent, and to ensure lucrative profits for the energy companies, so be it. The message from the Labour Party is suck it up Scotland. Scotland's NHS ready to treat injured Gazan children First Minister John Swinney has said that NHS Scotland is ready to treat injured Palestinian children from Gaza. Writing for The National, he said that the Scottish Government is looking to medically evacuate children suffering from injuries caused by Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza. However, this would require approval both from the Israeli authorities to allow the children and their primary care givers to exit the devastated territory, and the British Government to give them visas allowing them entry to the UK. With a Labour Government which is all-consumed with its pursuit of Reform UK leaning voters and which has swallowed right wing tropes about immigration hook, line, and sinker, the granting of such approval is by no means certain. The First Minister has already written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging him to support the evacuations to hospitals in Scotland. With independence, Scotland would not have to ask permission to grant visas to wounded and maimed children. According to figures from Unicef, more than 50,000 children in Gaza have been killed or injured by Israel since Hamas's October 7 2023 attack. Swinney said he had met with the UN agency earlier this week to discuss medical evacuations. In his piece for The National, he wrote: 'With hospitals destroyed and medical supplies running out, this is an emergency and a race against time to provide specialist medical care for the children and babies suffering from injuries caused by the war. Scotland's world-class National Health Service stands ready to play our full part in supporting these medical evacuations and the treatment of injured Palestinian children.' He added: 'This requires the support of the UK Government, and I have asked the Prime Minister to support facilitating a transfer of these children, who need medical care to survive, to Scotland.' Israel has recently unveiled plans to corral over 700,000 Palestinians into a concentration camp on the ruins of the city of Rafah in the south of Gaza. The Israeli plan would see Palestinians admitted to the camp after "screening", they would not be permitted to leave until they could be permanently relocated to a third country. The plan is blatant ethnic cleansing and as such is a crime under international law. Not that the Israeli Government cares, it enjoys the complicity of Western powers in its war crimes.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Offshore wind and oil and gas: a lesson in competition or coordination?
As the world's appetite for energy skyrockets, offshore wind and oil and gas are in closer proximity than ever before in order to meet demand. Wind energy has steadily expanded beyond onshore projects into marine spaces since the 1990s, a process that has forced the two industries to reckon with the challenges and opportunities of co-location. Now, oil and gas operators are exploring the use of wind-generated energy to power offshore installations as well as sharing or repurposing compatible infrastructure with offshore wind operators. However, difficulties remain in both the equitable distribution of resources and regulatory complications. Industry experts speak to Power Technology about the practicalities and future of co-location as the global energy transition gains pace. By 2030, nearly 15% of the forecasted 4.8 petawatt-hours (PWh) of wind power capacity will be generated from offshore projects, according to Power Technology's parent company GlobalData. The momentum of offshore wind is being driven by technological advancements as developers achieve larger installations in deeper waters to tap higher (and often more consistent) wind speeds. The world's deepest fixed-bottom wind turbine stands at a depth of 58.6m and is co-owned by SSE and TotalEnergies as part of the $3.7bn (£2.89bn) Seagreen project in Scotland, which came online in 2023. Wind power is gaining more ground on hydrocarbon assets, with floating turbines mounted on anchored platforms. These operate in waters where conventional fixed-bottom turbines are impractical due to depth constraints and seabed conditions. Offshore wind is currently led by power companies such as Iberdrola and NextEra Energy but oil and gas players are set to gain a sizeable share of the market over the next decade. GlobalData highlights that petroleum supermajor TotalEnergies will be the fourth-largest producer of wind energy globally by 2030, provided all of its proposed projects go online. Norway's Equinor, primarily a hydrocarbons producer, has also made serious moves into the offshore wind segment with plans to install a net capacity of 10–12GW by 2030. However, the company has been transparent about the financial challenges it faces in industrialising and monetising the technology, which it cited in 2024 after cancelling offshore wind projects in Spain, Mexico and Vietnam. Then there is the return of US President Donald Trump, who has been suspending federal leases for offshore wind while approving oil and gas projects under his Unleashing American Energy agenda. Trump's actions have seemingly reopened divides between the wind and hydrocarbon industries. In January, Shell announced its exit from the 1.5GW Atlantic Shores offshore wind project citing increased competition, delays and a changing market. Project partner EDF-RE Offshore Development reportedly remains committed to the project but in March, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rescinded its air permit, leaving the project's future uncertain. While the US pushback on offshore wind has affected European companies, prompting shares to fluctuate in industry giants Orsted and Vestas, Europe is positioned to double down on both the technology and co-location. Notably, the North Sea is a hub of co-location activity, with strong hydrocarbon and wind resources managed by a complex web of national authorities and international organisations, one of which is the UK's North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA). Speaking to Power Technology, NSTA senior policy adviser Stuart Walters explains that 'co-location has become a central focus within the last five years in the basin, driven by floating offshore wind coming into closer proximity with oil and gas'. The UK Labour Government is currently running a consultation on private investment into technologies to achieve its goal of establishing a 'world-class' offshore clean energy industry that combines a range of technologies. Facilitating smooth cooperation between the offshore wind and oil and gas industries is the first step to achieving this, aided by compatible infrastructure, workforce skills and energy sharing. Equinor's Hywind Tampen project off the Norwegian Coast in the North Sea is a leading example of synergised wind and hydrocarbon technologies. The 88MW floating wind farm is the world's biggest with 11 turbines meeting approximately 35% of the annual power demand of five platforms in the Snorre and Gullfaks offshore fields. Co-location is also reducing the use of gas turbines, offsetting 200,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and 1,000tpa of nitrogen oxide emissions, as per Equinor. Wind continues to be a major enabler for oil and gas industry electrification and emissions reduction – an increasingly common mandate for new project approvals. Introduced in 2024, the NSTA's OGA Plan requires that any hydrocarbon projects coming online under its jurisdiction in the North Sea post-2030 must be fully electrified from day one of operations. Such large-scale collaboration between offshore wind and oil and gas is strengthened by the industries' shared infrastructure. Norwegian telecommunications company Tampnet provides fibre-optic cables, private 5G and satellites for offshore platforms, rigs, windfarms and vessels. Chief technology officer Anders Tysdal explains that telecom infrastructure can be upgraded as co-location expands, enabling the development of more remote-controlled installation or maintenance for wind and hydrocarbon projects. Research organisation SINTEF senior research scientist Harald Svendsen emphasises the benefits of shared infrastructure: 'From the perspective of oil and gas, it makes sense to have wind farms nearby for electricity supply to reduce costs and emissions. 'For the wind industry, the connection is a stepping stone to accelerate offshore development as the willingness of hydrocarbon companies to pay for emissions abatement can be higher than what customers onshore are willing to pay. So, a project can be realised even if it isn't commercial on land.' Svendsen confirms oil and gas companies have become more interested in wind power over the past decade as 'they realise climate policies aren't going away'. "But even aside from climate change, the economy of wind is becoming clearer because of increasing CO₂ taxes, for example.' Even as physical offshore infrastructure ages and is decommissioned, Walters explains that repurposing assets for operational use between the industries is becoming a possibility. 'Platforms can be reused for accommodation hotels related to wind maintenance areas or for environmental compensation measures like bird hotels.' He also stresses the importance of reusing existing data on the offshore environment. The NSTA's National Data Repository (NDR) has almost a petabyte of publicly available reports from petroleum licensees and operators of offshore infrastructure. 'There has been close to 450 years of oil and gas operations and data gathering happening offshore. [The NSTA] is seeing more people working in renewables downloading seismic data, which can be of help when installing a wind farm.' Walters identifies floating wind as a key area of growth. 'Learnings can be directly transferred from what has been done on floating production vessels and other types of platforms to many systems used in floating wind, such as anchoring or buoyancy mechanisms.' The workforces of both industries are enabling such advancement, with an Offshore Energies UK report finding that 90% of workers in oil and gas production and its associated supply chain have skills that are transferable to other offshore energy sectors, including wind. The UK Labour Government's Skills Passport went online in January with the aim of supporting oil and gas workers to move into jobs in renewable energy as the two industries grow ever closer. 'There is a predicted natural decline of oil and gas roles versus growth in wind roles, with opportunities to match them up,' says Walters. 'The next step is sorting the granularity of the types of roles and regions where they are needed.' However, even as co-location births new opportunities for the two industries, additional strain is being placed upon shared resources, marine space, labour and supply chains. Offshore wind is a relatively new entrant to the marine environment, with seabeds growing ever busier. Wind farm and hydrocarbon developers are vying for the same specialised equipment and skilled labour to construct and maintain offshore assets. In recent years, charter rates for marine vessels have skyrocketed, and in January ships able to operate in subsea environments were noted as being in particularly short supply due to increased demand from offshore wind. Traditional oil and gas companies also fear their workforce will defect to renewable industries. This would exacerbate the skills shortage caused by mass retirement, as anticipated in Norway's offshore industry, and further complicate the notion of directly transitioning workers from one sector to another. There is a similar picture regarding the repurposing of infrastructure, as Svendsen explains: 'In principle, when oil and gas platforms are decommissioned, the oil infrastructure could be replaced with electrical converter stations, for example, to make them into a hub for wind power. 'But it is unclear whether this is possible. Many oil and gas platforms have been designed for a particular use. To change this, they need to be taken ashore and rebuilt at huge cost.' The offshore energy sector is also in competition for steel, a key construction material for platforms and wind turbines. The global steel supply chain has recently been hit by President Trump's 25% tariffs, disrupting supply and demand for manufacturers and prices for offshore developers. Even aside from shorter-term headwinds, an enduring issue in co-location development is overlapping projects. 'There is a diverse set of seabed users,' says Tysdal. 'We have challenges with wind farms taking up acreages where we both have existing cables and potential future routing.' Before Labour won the 2024 UK election, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak granted oil and gas exploration licences under offshore wind sites, causing outrage and temporarily destabilising the UK's green energy market. An increase in carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) facilities is creating further congestion. A key example is the overlaps between the Outer Dowsing wind farm, the Northern Endurance Partnership's CCUS licence area and Perenco's hydrocarbon operations in the North Sea. Walters confirms that, as a regulator, the NSTA has been adjusting its approach. 'As overlaps become more frequent, there is a much greater need to look ahead at projects. Traditionally, before we launch a new licensing round, we would consult with the Crown Estate towards the end of the process and deal with overlaps on a case-by-case basis. 'What we are finding now is that more red flags are coming up with new developments like wind farms. We have to think about mitigation much further in advance to promote collaboration.' Much of co-location's future depends on regulatory developments, particularly in accelerating electrification. Walters identifies this as the biggest driver to create an 'integrated energy route', with Norway leading the way. Research from Oxford University's Journal of World Energy Law and Business suggests that 'the Norwegian regulatory and legislative experiences may act as a potential model for future regulatory regimes' on wind-powered electrification. Indeed, one of the Norwegian Government's conditions for awarding the 3GW Sørlige Nordsjø II offshore wind project to Ventyr Energy was an assessment of supplying wind power to nearby Ekofisk, one of the largest oil and gas fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. According to Tysdal: 'In an ideal regulatory world, each industry would have a combination of protections for other users of the seabed while taking care of their own interests as part of a cooperative environment." 'Ten years ago, people wouldn't have predicted that co-location would become such a critical issue,' concludes Walters. 'Marine planning now has to look at optimising space and if there is more conflict, governments will have to decide which activities are prioritised.' "Offshore wind and oil and gas: a lesson in competition or coordination?" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Telegraph
21-02-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Major wind farm was paid £65m to cut power output by three quarters
One of Britain's biggest wind farms was handed £65m to slash its output by nearly three quarters last year, amid warnings that the country's 'staggeringly inefficient' power grid is pushing up household bills. The Seagreen offshore wind farm in the North Sea – the largest of its kind in Scotland – had its output curtailed for 71pc of the time it was due to operate in 2024, grid data show. This meant that of 4.7 terawatt hours of power its turbines generated, 3.3 terawatt hours were effectively discarded – with owner SSE paid by grid operators each time this happened. SSE also owns the Viking wind farm in the Shetlands, which had 57pc of its output curtailed last year at a cost of £10m. It was only switched on in August. The two sites have been paid another £1.5m so far this year for cutting output. Grid operators pay wind farms to switch off when they are generating but there is not enough network capacity to transport their power. But these curtailment payments ultimately go on to bills, in the form of network charges, and are paid by millions of households and businesses. Last year, separate analysis by the Renewable Energy Foundation charity found that wind farms were paid almost £400m to turn off their turbines. On Friday, SSE said grid upgrades were coming that would result in 'more and more of this power flowing into the economy, powering homes and businesses for decades to come'. A spokesman said: 'Seagreen and Viking wind farms are incredible assets that give Britain the ability to harness huge volumes of its own clean, homegrown energy that can drive economic growth while reducing reliance on volatile imports.' One source close to the company added that Seagreen's cheap generating price meant it was also more likely to be chosen for curtailment by grid operators than other, more expensive sites. But the figures will fuel a row that is raging in the energy industry over controversial proposals to introduce regional electricity pricing in the UK, replacing the current national price system. Greg Jackson, the chief executive of Octopus Energy, compared the existing arrangement to 'every region being forced to charge London house prices' and warned it would add £5bn to bills by the end of this decade. Writing for The Telegraph, he said: 'Britain suffers from a staggeringly inefficient market, reminiscent of the wine lakes and butter mountains of the old European Common Agricultural Policy. 'We are forced to pay wind farms billions each year to switch off and import energy from Europe when we have excess power we should be exporting. 'Without reform, energy costs will continue to rise and economic growth will remain elusive.' His comments come after Alistair Phillips-Davies, the chief executive of SSE, warned that switching to regional electricity prices risked pushing up bills and derailing Ed Miliband's plan for a clean power system by 2030. He warned the reforms would cause unnecessary delays and uncertainty, spooking the investors that ministers want to invest in wind and solar farms across the country. In an article for The Telegraph, Mr Phillips-Davies said: 'The clean power prize is a golden economic opportunity for Britain that is achievable without this costly distraction – don't blow it now. Responding to these claims, however, Mr Jackson accused wind farm developers such as SSE of 'scaremongering'. He said: 'If Government backs consumers over producers, corporates stand to forfeit easy profits – and will have to work harder. 'It is understandable they are deploying every threat in their arsenal to lobby politicians into inertia.' A spokesman for the National Energy System Operator (Neso) said curtailment payments made up 2.4pc of a typical annual customer bill. Based on the current energy bill price cap of £1,738, this would amount to about £42 a year. The spokesman added: 'Neso takes its role to deliver a safe, secure and reliable national electricity network at least cost to consumers, extremely seriously. 'We make constraint payments when it is most cost-effective to temporarily reduce generation output in a specific area. 'We are constantly looking for new ways to reduce costs associated with balancing electricity supply and demand on a second-by-second basis, as these costs are passed on to consumers in their electricity bill.' A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: 'The Neso's independent report shows we can achieve clean power by 2030 with cheaper electricity, even when factoring in constraint payments, and a more secure energy system for Britain. 'Through our Clean Power Action Plan, we will work with industry to rewire Britain, upgrade our outdated infrastructure to get more renewable electricity on the grid, and minimise constraint payments.'
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major wind farm was paid £65m to cut power output by three quarters
One of Britain's biggest wind farms was handed £65m to slash its output by nearly three quarters last year, amid warnings that the country's 'staggeringly inefficient' power grid is pushing up household bills. The Seagreen offshore wind farm in the North Sea – the largest of its kind in Scotland – had its output curtailed for 71pc of the time it was due to operate in 2024, grid data show. This meant that of 4.7 terawatt hours of power its turbines generated, 3.3 terawatt hours were effectively discarded – with owner SSE paid by grid operators each time this happened. SSE also owns the Viking wind farm in the Shetlands, which had 57pc of its output curtailed last year at a cost of £10m. It was only switched on in August. The two sites have been paid another £1.5m so far this year for cutting output. Grid operators pay wind farms to switch off when they are generating but there is not enough network capacity to transport their power. But these curtailment payments ultimately go on to bills, in the form of network charges, and are paid by millions of households and businesses. Last year, separate analysis by the Renewable Energy Foundation charity found that wind farms were paid almost £400m to turn off their turbines. On Friday, SSE said grid upgrades were coming that would result in 'more and more of this power flowing into the economy, powering homes and businesses for decades to come'. A spokesman said: 'Seagreen and Viking wind farms are incredible assets that give Britain the ability to harness huge volumes of its own clean, homegrown energy that can drive economic growth while reducing reliance on volatile imports.' One source close to the company added that Seagreen's cheap generating price meant it was also more likely to be chosen for curtailment by grid operators than other, more expensive sites. But the figures will fuel a row that is raging in the energy industry over controversial proposals to introduce regional electricity pricing in the UK, replacing the current national price system. Greg Jackson, the chief executive of Octopus Energy, compared the existing arrangement to 'every region being forced to charge London house prices' and warned it would add £5bn to bills by the end of this decade. Writing for The Telegraph, he said: 'Britain suffers from a staggeringly inefficient market, reminiscent of the wine lakes and butter mountains of the old European Common Agricultural Policy. 'We are forced to pay wind farms billions each year to switch off and import energy from Europe when we have excess power we should be exporting. 'Without reform, energy costs will continue to rise and economic growth will remain elusive.' His comments come after Alistair Phillips-Davies, the chief executive of SSE, warned that switching to regional electricity prices risked pushing up bills and derailing Ed Miliband's plan for a clean power system by 2030. He warned the reforms would cause unnecessary delays and uncertainty, spooking the investors that ministers want to invest in wind and solar farms across the country. In an article for The Telegraph, Mr Phillips-Davies said: 'The clean power prize is a golden economic opportunity for Britain that is achievable without this costly distraction – don't blow it now. Responding to these claims, however, Mr Jackson accused wind farm developers such as SSE of 'scaremongering'. He said: 'If Government backs consumers over producers, corporates stand to forfeit easy profits – and will have to work harder. 'It is understandable they are deploying every threat in their arsenal to lobby politicians into inertia.' A spokesman for the National Energy System Operator (Neso) said curtailment payments made up 2.4pc of a typical annual customer bill. Based on the current energy bill price cap of £1,738, this would amount to about £42 a year. The spokesman added: 'Neso takes its role to deliver a safe, secure and reliable national electricity network at least cost to consumers, extremely seriously. 'We make constraint payments when it is most cost-effective to temporarily reduce generation output in a specific area. 'We are constantly looking for new ways to reduce costs associated with balancing electricity supply and demand on a second-by-second basis, as these costs are passed on to consumers in their electricity bill.' A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: 'The Neso's independent report shows we can achieve clean power by 2030 with cheaper electricity, even when factoring in constraint payments, and a more secure energy system for Britain. 'Through our Clean Power Action Plan, we will work with industry to rewire Britain, upgrade our outdated infrastructure to get more renewable electricity on the grid, and minimise constraint payments.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
