by Felicia Jackson

Felicia Jackson is an associate at Carbon International: www.carboninternational.com

In early 2008, EU President José Barroso outlined the Climate Action and Renewables Package, the process by which the EU intends to limit the growth of carbon emissions. The core of the proposal comprised targets of a 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and 20% of energy from renewables by 2020.  

These targets are the most stringent anywhere in the world, and some EU countries are already showing signs that they may fail to meet existing Kyoto commitments to 2012. Many question the extent to which such targets are achievable.  What will definitely be required are large amounts of investment, the right policy framework, innovation in technology development and implementation and a supportive long-term investment environment.

The 1.2MW SeaGen tidal energy system in Strangford Narrows in Northern Ireland

 This feature is an abridged and updated version of research, first published in December 2007, by Estelle Lloyd, CEO and Founder of Venture Business Research (VBR): www.vbrresearch.com

Companies using the motion of the ocean to generate electricity are attracting growing interest from investors and power utilities looking for the next long-term play in renewable energy.  The UK Government has forecast that wave power could generate 35TWh per year by 2025, approximately 20% of the UK’s electricity demand.  Wave and tidal stream resources are unlimited, predictable and reliable when compared to intermittent resources like wind and solar. From an implementation perspective, the marine power industry uses similar technologies to the oil and gas industry and has access to a large pool of engineers who can apply their skills to installing marine power generators. However, the sector faces significant obstacles, including establishing grid connections to relay offshore energy to large residential hubs where there is high energy consumption. To date technologies have been tested and produced encouraging results. Will these technologies move beyond the experimental stage and feed energy into the grid on a large scale?

Pedro Miguel Locks, Panama Canal

The environmental threat from the shipping industry has been in the news for decades – but the emphasis has changed with the times. The main concern in the 1970s was the prevention and cleaning up of oil slicks. Today, the most pressing challenges are to reduce emissions of SOx and CO2. The environmental category in the Seatrade Awards for “excellence in shipping” appears to mirror the issues which are most prominent for the industry.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations body, is responsible for the regulation of international shipping. The IMO International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships was signed in 1973. Subsequently modified by the MARPOL protocol, it covers accidental and operational oil pollution; pollution by chemicals; goods in packaged form; sewage; garbage and air pollution. The IMO Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (known as the London Convention) was signed in 1972 and updated by a 1996 Protocol.

The Seatrade Awards, which “celebrate excellence in shipping”, are approaching their 20th anniversary. From the outset the awards included an environmental category: “Countering Marine Pollution”. The list of early winners features a host of companies with solutions for cleaning up or preventing oil spillage – which was the major issue at the time. For example, Unitor won the award in 1989 for its Enviroclean water based cleaner and featured again amongst the runners-up in 1991 with its “oil bag”. In 1991 the award went to Elf Aquitaine, for an oleophilic nutriment for enhancement of oil biodegradation.

Voller Energy's Emerald

The Voller Energy Emerald fuel cell system offers the same performance as a conventional 5k VA generator erformance as a conventional 5kVA generator. As well as power, the system can also provide hot water and space-heating, and can even support an air conditioning system.

by Denis Gross

While working on a fuel cell power source in 1842, which he called a ‘gas battery’, William Grove,’the father of the fuel cell’, noted in a letter that he and a friend had built a battery-powered boat capable of 3 mph. Although what was probably the first electric boat ever made was not powered by fuel cells, it was a harbinger of a rapidly developing association between fuel cells and boats/ships.

 First published in Cleantech magazine, January/February 2008. Copyright Cleantech Investor 2008

Image, courtesy of Lunar Energy

The DTI World Offshore Energy report published in 2002 estimates a global marine current resource in excess of 450GW – almost seven times the total generating capacity of all UK power stations.  Tidal currents around the UK are strong in many areas and the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) argues that the UK has the best tidal resources in Europe, with the potential for 5% of its energy demand being met from this source.   Over 20 UK companies are developing tidal technologies and several regional agencies are beginning to assess the potential for tidal energy generation..