This supplement is an independent publication from Raconteur Media October 20 2009
WIND, WAVE & TIDAL ENERGY
No alternative to renewables
No alternatirenewables
Wind, wave and tidal power can deliver energy security and price stability, says Maria McCaffery MBE, chief executive of BWEAWary academics and engineers more than 30 years ago renewable energy was thought of and written about as ‘alternative energy’. Even three years Wary academics
hen the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) was founded by a group of vision-ago, when I took the helm at BWEA, the terms were still synonymous, but we have since entered a different era. A recent report by the energy regulator Ofgem flagged up four energy mar-ket scenarios in the run up to 2020. The report was widely quoted, but ifanyone spotted that all four scenarios Plan for the future Breaking through red tape is the key to speeding up wind farm deployment and meeting our emissions targets. page 7predicted significant contributions from renewable energy sources, and a clear beneficial effect on energy bills from greater deployment of renewa-bles, they’ve been keeping very quiet about it. So, with renewable energy now expected to deliver energy secu-rity and price stability, could it be at last that a future without renewables is no longer conceivable? This paradigm shift came on the back of two undisputable and closely linked facts: ever escalating fossil fuel prices and climate change. Recent volatility ofoil and gas prices is masking an obvious upward trend. Over the last decade the price of oil has quadrupled, while gas prices have merely doubled, but price is only part of the problem. Leaving aside the prices and availability of fos-sil fuels, there is now a strong consensus that carbon emissions must be curbed. The science on climate change is now irrefutable and both policy makers and the wider public are finally in agreement that doing nothing is not an option. Marine assault The UK could generate up to 20 per cent of its electricity using the power of the sea using vital new technology. We need to prepare for the future and, thankfully, we have an option which is in inexhaustible supply. Wind energy is currently powering over 2.2 million homes in the UK, that’s close to the en-tire domestic supply of Scotland. Wind works across all geographical regions, onshore and offshore, and in terms ofinstalled capacity has been growing world wide at around 20 per cent year on year, for the last decade and a half. continued on page threepage 10EXCELLENCE IN OFFSHORE
PROJECT DELIVERY
Our expanding offshore team is taking on new projects Contact us now at offshore@res-group.comDevelopment - Engineering - Construction and O&M ManagementThe green economy Investments in renewable energy can lead the economy out of recession and create new, high-technology jobs. page 12