The Icon

GRESHAM House Renewable Energy VCTs has invested £1.2 million into bio-bean, the world’s largest recycler of waste coffee grounds. The bio-bean investment represents 30% of the £4 million funding round announced by bio-bean in April 2019. The Gresham House VCTs’ investment forms the final part of that round, and values bio-bean at £7.6 million. Bozkurt Aydinoglu, Investment Director at Gresham House and...

TWO of the Big Six, E.ON and npower, are to leave Energy UK after the New Year. A spokesperson for E.ON, which acquired npower earlier this year, told ICON: “We constantly review our costs in order to continue to deliver value for money for our customers. "As part of this, we have decided being part of Energy UK is something we...

SCOTLAND must match the ambition of its world-leading Net Zero 2045 target with decisive action to strengthen climate change policy in all parts of the economy, according to the Climate Change Committee. Decisions over the next 12 months are likely to determine the direction of the next 25 years. Lord Deben, Chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, said: “Scotland has...

SP Energy Networks are investing in pioneering software from Sia Partners UK that applies data science and machine learning algorithms to predict both electricity network demand and generation output. This new approach will allow us to maximise capacity and reliability across the electricity network, benefiting customers and generators alike. Grant McBeath, Control Room Manager at SP Energy Networks, comments on the...

THE NEXT funding round of the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewables Energy Scheme (CARES), is now open for applications until Friday 31 January 2020. CARES funding, managed by Local Energy Scotland, offers specialist support and bespoke funding packages to communities, rural businesses and public sector organisations looking to install renewable energy generation or to get local energy projects up and...

NEXTENERGY Solar Fund has announced the energisation of Staughton, the UK’s largest subsidy-free solar plant with an installed capacity of 50MWp. Largely located on a former airfield on the Bedfordshire/Cambridgeshire border, Staughton solar plant will cover the yearly electricity demand of approximately 15,000 UK households. The electricity generated by the plant will be bundled with NextEnergy Solar Fun's existing portfolio of generating...

UK Energy Research Centre is seeking views from the energy community to help shape their Flexible Fund. The programme includes a £3 million Flexible Research Fund that will be allocated via three open calls, anticipated to take place in 2020 and 2021. The aims of the Fund are: To provide flexibility for the UK Energy Research Centre research programme in the...

SSE Renewables is incrementally expanding its onshore wind pipeline through the acquisition of land and development rights to a 134MW onshore wind portfolio in Germany from Holt Holding SA Limited. SSE Renewables is continually exploring opportunities to grow its portfolio of onshore wind, offshore wind, and hydro-electric assets to contribute towards its ambition to develop and build enough renewable energy...

OFWAT has finalised its price review for 2020-25 by confirming a major investment programme to 'improve services for customers and the environment.' The regulator has revealed a spending package of £51bn for the next five years. A quarter of this, around £13bn, will be investment dedicated to 'providing resilient services and a better environment in the face of a growing population...

HYDRO power scheme that helps avoid emissions of almost 360 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent this year has been upgraded at a water treatment works in South Lanarkshire. The scheme at Daer Water Treatment Works near Elvanfoot includes four turbines, the largest number at any Scottish Water asset, which are generating enough electricity to run the Daer and sell surplus...