Commentary
Oil
Innovations boost EU bioliquids
February 20, 2013
Successful research and experimentation to improve technologies for converting the many forms of biomass feedstock into usable fuels is opening the floodgates for the biomass energy industry to produce ... More
Europe: unmanned service station numbers are set to increase out to 2013
October 20, 2011
Verdict research has revealed that while Europe's network of manned service stations has contracted by 3%, or 3,622 stations, since 2008, the number of unmanned stations has increased by almost 5%. Fuel ... More
UK: Centrica's South Morecambe gas field may remain closed
May 6, 2011
Centrica is closing three fields in Morecambe Bay for maintenance purposes, and may not reopen one of them, as higher taxes make profitability at its South Morecambe field "marginal," depending on gas ... More
Gas
Fracking may leak away emissions benefits
January 4, 2013
Natural gas is mostly comprised of methane, which has a global warming potential of up to 100 times that of carbon dioxide over two decades, but due to the shorter lifespan of methane in the atmosphere ... More
France plans to move to progressive prices for electricity, gas, and water
September 10, 2012
Although more specific information has not been released, the aim is to have three distinct thresholds of tariffs, calculated by the kilowatt-hour, that progressively increase with volume. The tariffs ... More
Centrica continues its acquisition strategy outside Europe
July 26, 2012
The acquisitions of Energetix and NYSEG Solutions are just the latest in a flurry of M&A activity at Centrica, the parent company of British Gas in the UK. Indeed, in March 2011, Centrica acquired ... More
Electricity
Drax displays good foresight
October 25, 2012
The Department of Energy and Climate Change estimates that by 2020 at least one third of renewable electricity production in the UK could be derived from sustainable biomass feedstock. Demand for biomass ... More
France plans to move to progressive prices for electricity, gas, and water
September 10, 2012
Although more specific information has not been released, the aim is to have three distinct thresholds of tariffs, calculated by the kilowatt-hour, that progressively increase with volume. The tariffs ... More
Centrica continues its acquisition strategy outside Europe
July 26, 2012
The acquisitions of Energetix and NYSEG Solutions are just the latest in a flurry of M&A activity at Centrica, the parent company of British Gas in the UK. Indeed, in March 2011, Centrica acquired ... More
Nuclear, Solar, Wind
UK nuclear future buoyed by possible bid for Horizon
July 18, 2012
French group Areva and the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC) are set to put in a GBP15bn ($24bn) joint bid for the Horizon project, which is a joint venture between E.ON and RWE. In March ... More
UK: nuclear future remains in doubt
December 2, 2011
Datamonitor believes there is significant doubt concerning the construction of all eight proposed new power stations in the UK. This is despite the July 2011 UK government White Paper highlighting nuclear ... More
Global intermittency issues could be alleviated within the decade
November 21, 2011
Intermittency is one of the main problems associated with wind and solar power. For example, during the cold spell over Christmas 2010, almost all the UK's 3,000 wind turbines stood still. However, intermittency ... More
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