Low carbon generation

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Co-location, co-location, co-location

    As the UK transitions to net zero, the energy generation mix will become increasingly dominated by intermittent renewable generators, thus promoting a need for greater flexibility within the energy system. Setting up a new site, especially for storage assets, is currently a long and often costly process. Co-location is where...

  • Low carbon generation

    MCS Charitable Foundation – Hydrogen Costs

    MCS Charitable Foundation (“MCS”) in its charity goal of decarbonising homes, heat and energy has commissioned us to calculate the costs of blue and green hydrogen, based on current and projected gas prices. This report sets out our methodology for this forecast, and our findings in terms of delivered prices...

  • Low carbon generation

    A corporate’s guide to decarbonising power

    From 6 April 2022 it has become mandatory for over 1,300 of the largest UK-registered companies to disclose their climate-related financial information in line with the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. As part of this, all corporations on the Financial Conduct Authority’s Official List (are “listed”) are required...

  • Low carbon generation

    The UK and the energy transition. Leading the way?

    Contributors from Womble Bond Dickinson: Richard Cockburn, Chris Towner, Matt Lewy, Anthony Alderman, Vicki Redman, Simon Hughes, Sebastian Briggs, Lisa Rushton, Belton Zeigle The United Kingdom is well placed to play a key role in global efforts to dramatically reduce carbon emissions over the coming decades. An urgent need to...

  • Low carbon generation

    Future-proofing energy market design: the net zero challenge

    With climate change high on the agenda, many countries are looking at decarbonising their electricity generation and incorporating more renewable generation into their electricity systems. This research snapshot focuses on energy market design in Great Britain (GB), Ireland and Australia, considering what is being done to adapt to the changing...

  • Home supply and services

    Assessing the potential of hydrogen in decarbonising residential heating in Ireland

    Ireland has an ambitious vision to reach net zero by 2050, and decarbonising residential heating is a significant challenge. This report examines the potential for hydrogen-based heating solutions in decarbonising residential heating in Ireland.On comparing the various options of using hydrogen for domestic heating in Ireland, hydrogen blending in the...

  • Low carbon generation

    Renewable asset repowering and net zero

    In our latest short research paper, we consider policy options and solutions for the building and repowering of assets across GB, Ireland, and Australia. While technology can be uitilised to optimize renewable energy assets and extend their life, the components and materials from decommissioned assets can be refurbished, reused or...

  • Business supply and services

    Industrial decarbonisation key for UK low carbon hydrogen

    Hydrogen has an important role in decarbonising the industrial sector; simultaneously, industries need to redesign and reinvent their processes to use hydrogen. Low carbon hydrogen should be adopted in applications with maximum emission reduction potential to maximise its decarbonisation potential. Read here Training on Net zero transition: Low carbon heat...

  • Low carbon generation

    Four technologies to reach net zero

    There is no single technological fix to resolve the climate crisis. Instead, a range of technologies must be developed and deployed at scale to tackle the vast challenges associated with the deep decarbonisation of the economy. This report will cover a few of those technologies, including carbon capture, hydrogen, floating...

  • Low carbon generation

    Merchant renewables still face challenges

    In light of delayed RESS-2 auctions in Ireland, and the prospect of buying constraints in the next CfD auction (for established technologies) leading to many disappointed developers, the question of whether “merchant” project development is viable will soon be occupying the minds of our customers in both Ireland and Great...

  • Low carbon generation

    The net zero paradox – challenges of designing markets to bring forward low marginal cost resources

    The scale and speed of the net zero targets require a refocus of the traditional goals of electricity market design to ensure efficient dispatch, adequate capacity and optimal investment. Electricity markets need to support the investment and dispatch to meet low carbon objectives, but the fundamental drivers of the electricity...

  • Low carbon generation

    Market design amidst global energy transition

    Increasing levels of intermittent generation around the world are prompting debates for market participants and operators about how to optimise network design and ensure appropriate regulatory and commercial arrangements. This includes the most appropriate methods for charging for networks, managing access to them and dealing with issues such as network...

  • Low carbon generation

    The dawn of corporate PPAs in Ireland?

    With the recent activity in the Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) market in Ireland, one can be forgiven for thinking that the landscape for energy purchasing by large Corporate entities is shifting drastically and quickly. Amazon has signed direct agreements with two wind farms and the government has set stretch...

  • Low carbon generation

    Wind in the Australian and Great British energy markets

    A wind turbine is the same piece of engineering no matter where on earth it is located, yet assuming largely similar natural wind resources, the variety of risks and value wind turbines create is very much driven by the market characteristics in which they operate. As a pre-eminent energy research,...

  • Low carbon generation

    Rationalising Micro-generation Exports

    In this Rationalising Micro-generation Exports insight paper, we set out a four-part solution to ensure the continuation of a guaranteed route to market for micro-generation exports as the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme closes to new investment on 1 April 2019. This paper builds on the September 2018 UnFiT for Purpose...

  • Low carbon generation

    Turn up the volume: reinventing CfD auctions

    We argue that changes to the CfD regime should be closely examined to address several limitations in the targets, timings and integration of the auctions with the wider energy system and market landscape: The current approach does not ensure that CfD procurement meets the UK’s decarbonisation trajectory;Investors do not have...

  • Low carbon generation

    A Great Leap Forward? Offshore Wind in Ireland

    The Irish energy industry faces fundamental changes, making this research a timely and important call to action. Ireland has only 25MW of installed offshore wind capacity but has some of Europe’s best wind resource. Large-scale deployment has strayed behind other markets due to lack of strong policy support. However, evolving...

  • Low carbon generation

    UnFiT for purpose

    This insight paper from Pixie Energy, sister company of Cornwall Insight, recommends a Transitional Offtake Tariff to support continued support of deployment of small generators from April 2019 until new local markets can be shown to work. This could be achieved at no cost to consumers by tying export rates to...

  • Low carbon generation

    Wholesale Power Price Cannibalisation

    With the withdrawal of government subsidies for new investment, such as the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) and Renewables Obligation (RO), and the limited spend remaining for the Contract for Difference (CfD) scheme, the value earned from wholesale power is going to become increasingly important for renewables. However, a complicating factor will...

  • Low carbon generation

    Capacity Remuneration Mechanism in Ireland

    On 20 December 2017 EirGrid and SONI published the provisional Capacity Auction results for the 2018-19 Capacity Remuneration Mechanism (CRM) T-1 auction, held on the 15th December 2017. Subject to approval the Regulatory Authorities, the final results at a Capacity Market Unit level will be published on the 25th Jan...