Energy & Environmental Management articles from November 2001

Energy & Environmental Management archives from November 2001

A blueprint for low carbon economy. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The Carbon Trust has published a new report outlining how we might move to a low carbon economy. Describing it as a blueprint for the future, Tom Delay, The Carbon Trust's Chief Executive, said: "Kyoto is just the start. Stabilising C[O.sub.2]...

Vehicles warning. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... New powers for local authorities to improve air quality by taking action against polluting vehicles have been outlined by John Spellar, Minister for Transport. The initiative will allow local authorities which have declared Air Quality...

Suppliers' targets. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Electricity and gas suppliers will have to meet challenging new energy savings targets and improve domestic energy efficiency under proposals for the new Energy Efficiency Commitment 2002 -- 2005 (EEC), which replaces the Energy Efficiency...

Rio's key role in earth summit talks. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Preparations are continuing for the world sustainable development summit (WSSD), also known as Rio+10, in Johannesburg next September. European and North American Ministers met in Geneva recently and issued a joint statement on priorities...

Tough stance on air pollution. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Following latest expert advice, Environment Minister Michael Meacher has announced tough new air pollution targets for particles, benzene, carbon monoxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Publishing a consultation paper, he set out...

CHP for college. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Imperial College, London, has installed an 8m [pounds sterling] energy centre with a combined heat and power (CHP) system to provide power for buildings, lecture halls and the halls of residence for 9,000 students, with additional electricity...

Marrakesh picks up on Kyoto protocol. (News).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... The agreement at the climate change talks in Bonn in July on the rules for implementing the Kyoto Protocol was a significant breakthrough. Most of the key political issues with which climate negotiators had grappled since 1997 were resolved....

Task force verdict on renewable energy. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The G8 Renewable EnergyTask Force, formed following the Okinawa Summit in 2000, has published its comprehensive G8 Report on Renewable Energy. The principal finding is that renewable energy resources can now sharply reduce local, regional and...

Mixed responses to NETA. (News).(New Electricity Trading Arrangements )(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... The Major Energy Users' Council (MUEC), which represents 200 industrial and commercial organisations, has welcomed OFGEM's report on the first three months of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (NETA). It feels that generally the...

Fuel cell first. (News).(International Fuel Cells)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Woking Council, Surrey, is to install the UK's first commercial fuel cell. Fuel cells combine hydrogen, or hydrogen-rich fuel, and oxygen to produce electricity, heat and water. The 200kW PC25 system, supplied by International Fuel Cells...

Green energy launch. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Greenpeace and npower, an Innogy subsidiary, have joined forces to offer electricity consumers another no-premium opportunity to purchase renewable electricity. The power comes from a reservoir in North Wales, but it is hoped that from 2003...

Windy cities take note. (News).(wind power)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Delegates at an international workshop on wind power in the urban environment at CLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory discussed the results of a novel EC-funded wind energy project run by building and environmental engineers BDSP Partnership,...

Radioactive waste debate. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... More than 10,000 tonnes of radioactive waste are currently stored in the UK, pending a decision on their long-term future. Even if no new nuclear plants are built, another 500,000 tonnes will arise over the coming century. Some of it will be...

Power point.(UK environmental policy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The Government has confirmed plans to oblige electricity suppliers to purchase an increasing amount of electricity from renewable energy generators. The obligation will rise annually -- from 3% in 2003 to 10.4% in 2010. Those failing to meet...

Carbon deal.(emissions credit trading)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The UK carbon trading system will not officially be launched until next April, but Natsource have already brokered a deal between DuPont and Mieco of Japan for 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (C[O.sub.2]) equivalent allowances. Environment...

4.2m [pounds sterling] EAF relaunch. (News).(Environmental Action Fund)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The 4.2 million [pounds sterling] Environmental Action Fund (EAF) has been relaunched by Environment Minister Michael Meacher to focus on two key areas. "The first is understanding and awareness of sustainable development," he said. "This...

Car-free day is a smash hit. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The European Commission estimates that about 100 million people were involved in Car-free day in September, up from 65 million last year. Laurel and Hardy were on hand in Stoke to encourage motorists to become pedestrians or cyclists. ...

Farmers' wind aid. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Farmers wanting to diversify in the wake of the crisis in agriculture now have a new opportunity. Under the new WindWorks scheme, developed by National Wind Power, farmers and landowners can develop small wind energy projects of up to three...

Recycling push. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Recycling of packaging waste must increase if the UK is to achieve objectives set out in the Government's Waste Strategy, and help the UK to meet possible EU targets in 2006. A new consultation paper -- Recovery and Recycling Targets for...

Implementing reduced rate CCL -- the lessons. (News).(Climate Change Levy )(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... Around one third of the 12,500 facilities included under Climate Change Agreements (CCAs) faced unnecessary delays because they didn't supply sufficient information for the Department to assess their eligibility. So what did we learn from this?...

Negotiated agreements -- blueprint for energy saving: many industrial companies have entered into Climate Change Levy (CCL) Negotiated Agreements to gain an 80% reduction on CCL. These agreements set out milestone energy saving targets for the next 10 years, but don't specify how the savings are to be made. Here, Kevin Stacey, EEBPP Sector Manager, sets out ways to work towards achieving the targets. (Feature).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The required targets are the "quantitative" part of the agreement -- the agreements also have "qualitative" requirements. These were originally set out in the DETR paper NA(00)35, `Qualitative Requirements for Climate Change Levy Negotiated...

Experts tackle air pollution.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... A new Expert Group, to be chaired by Professor Mike Pilling of Leeds University, is to help the Government tackle air pollution by examining sources and levels of pollution in the UK and to help with future reviews of the Air Quality Strategy....

Welcome chill.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Sainsbury's chilled groceries depot in East Kilbride is the first to benefit from Ecotricity's unique Merchant Wind Power initiative. It means the 600 kW turbines can be built without Government subsidies and supplied without a premium....

Wind farm plan.(Scottish Power)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Scottish Power has unveiled plans for the UK's largest wind farm, a 150m [pounds sterling] 24MW development on the hills of Whitelee Forest 10 miles south of Glasgow. The company has plans for a total of 400MW of new wind power north of the...

Key to prosperity. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... "Companies that succeed in the 21st century will be those at the forefront of embracing the best practices -- commercially, financially and environmentally," said lan McAllister, Chairman of Ford UK and Chairman of The Carbon Trust. He told the...

Solar parking. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Nottingham City Council has installed integrated solar powered pay and display parking machines, manufactured by Metric Parking, as part of a 1.9m scheme to tackle congestion and encourage motorists to switch to alternative forms of transport....

Mox fuel justified. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Secretary of State Margaret Beckett has announced that the manufacture of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at Sellafield is justified in accordance with the requirements of European Community law. There have been no less than five public...

EMAS registration.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... More than 3,700 organisations are now registered under the EU's revamped Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).The scheme was revised in spring, but there has been no indication that this is increasing the number of applications. The European...

Label clampdown.(European Union flower logo ecolabel)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Tougher new EU rules in order to qualify for the EU flower logo ecolabel have been published for personal and portable computers, dishwashing machines and soil improvers. See ecolabel web pages at http://europa.eu.int/comm/...

EU Parliament passes renewables directive. (EU News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The EU Directive on the internal electricity market and the promotion of renewable electricity, now in force, should pave the way for simpler planning procedures and easier grid access for the sector. It supplies a framework for delivering the...

Controversy over biofuel targets. (EU News).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... The European Commission is proposing large tax incentives and mandatory minimum take-up for biofuels -- 2% of all fuels sold by 2005, growing to 5.75% by 2010. The Transport and Energy Directorate believes that the underused renewable energy...

PV boom predicted. (EU News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The European Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Industry Association (EPIA) expects to achieve and possibly surpass the EU's 2010 growth target of 3GW of installed capacity by the end of the decade. System installation is expected to expand by about 30%...

New pollution laws. (EU News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The European parliament has approved two major new air pollution laws concerning large combustion plant releases and national emission ceilings for four key pollutants. Contact: www2.europarl.eu.int/omk/OM-Europarl?PROG=DOC-C&L...

Flame retardants outlawed. (EU News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... MEPs have taken a tough position on the future of three brominated flame retardants, approving a European Commission proposal to ban penta-BDE (from 1 July 2003) but also voting to extend it to cover octa-BDE (from 1 July 2003) and deca-BDE (1...

Power from the waves. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The Government has committed 1.67 million [pounds sterling] to developing the world's first ever floating mini power-station. The wave power machine should be launched next summer from a new marine energy testing centre to be built in Orkney....

Radio treatment. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Breaking down waste more quickly and in an environmentally friendly way using high-power radio waves will be researched by a new Faraday Partnership to be run by the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, along with research into improved X-ray and...

Guidance for food and drink sector. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The Environment Agency (EA) has released a draft Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) technical guidance note, `General Guidance for the Food and Drink Sector', for consultation. Food production amounts to 18 per cent of the UK's...

Radiation emergencies.
November 1, 2001... New regulations which deal with planning for emergencies involving radiation releases have come into force -- the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations (REPPIR). These fully implement the European Directive on...

Cleaning up coal. (News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Brian Wilson, Minister for Energy, has approved a proposal from Edison First Power Ltd to fit a flue gas desulphurisation plant at its Ferrybridge coal-fired power station near Wakefield. It will remove over 90% of the sulphur dioxide from the...

Are your furnace costs too high? a new publication from the Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme (EEBPP), `A Manager's Guide to Optimising Furnace Performance', offers straightforward suggestions for improving furnace profitability, including how, when and why to make improvements that will ensure more cost-effective operation. Alex Townend, Portfolio Manager for EEBPP, highlights the benefits. (Best Practice).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Few manufacturers can afford to ignore substantial potential energy and cost savings, particularly when those savings can improve productivity without compromising product quality. Typically, increased furnace efficiency can generate cost...

Comfortable factories need not cost the earth.
November 1, 2001... The working environment in factories can have a significant effect on productivity and hence the profitability of the company. Yet, there are many buildings that are cold and draughty in winter and overheat in summer. Companies with such poor...

Cogen -- sharpening the edge: Paul Stanley, Cogen's site operations manager at the Huntsman Tioxide CHP Plant, Grimsby, reviews developments at one of the first industrial CHP plants commissioned since this year's New Electricity Trading Arrangements. (CHP)(Cover Story).(Combined Heat and Power)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Commissioning of a new power plant is an intensive and demanding process, requiring a high level of skill and dedication from commissioning and site staff. But, as progress of the new Cogen-Tioxide CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plant rapidly...

Sustainability success story. (EU news).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... "Sustainability and Corporate Reputation", a report by the Institute of Chartered Accountants' Centre for Business Performance, illustrates that corporate reputation and sustainability is firmly on the business agenda, makes strong business...

Valuable reading on deadly dust. (EU news).(Dust Explosion Prevention and Protection: A Practical Guide)
November 1, 2001... A new book, "Dust Explosion Prevention and Protection: A Practical Guide", published by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), features new research and information on preventing and protecting against dust explosions in the process...

ZEN targets the housing market. (EU news).(Zero Emission Network)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The Zero Emission Network (ZEN) aims to assist designers and promoters of zero emission housing projects to identify and develop markets for their services. A directory is being produced which will provide useful contacts and act as a...

Compost growth. (EU news).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The Composting Association Annual Conference 2001 "Compost -- Growing the Market", to be held in Nottingham on Monday 3 December, will explore initiatives from around the world with the aim of reaching and developing potential markets and...

Euro review on renewables. (EU news).(renewable energy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... The renewable energy website of the EU Energy and Transport Directorate is at www.agores.org and provides information on a wide range of EC initiatives. A useful starting point for information on what funding is available is found at...

Events. (EU news).(European Union)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Events Sector: Date Title: Metal Finishing 12/11/01 Water & Chemical Waste in the Metal Finishing Industry Energy Management 13-15/11/01...

Free environmental information from around the world. (Resources).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... A network of nine information centres, providing information on a wide range of topics relevant to many individuals and organisations in the energy and environment field, is managed under the auspices of the International Energy Agency (IEA)....

Best value targets reduction levels. (Focus on ... waste).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... Some 400 million tonnes of waste are produced in the UK each year. A quarter of that is waste from households, commerce and industry. The remainder is made up of construction and demolition wastes, mining and agricultural wastes, sewage sludge...

WRAP aims to focus attention on recycling materials. (focus on waste).(Waste and Resources Action Programme)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... Sustainable waste management is one of the biggest challenges faced by any modern economy and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), set up with 40 million [pounds sterling] of Government funding over the next three years, has been...

On the FastTrack to savings. (focus on waste).(waste minimization increases profits)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... It is a little known fact that many UK businesses can increase profits by as much as 1,000 [pounds sterling] per employee by eliminating waste at source. Even the simplest waste minimisation methods could yield savings equivalent to as much as...

Let cleaner technology boost profits. (focus on waste).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... In today's fiercely competitive marketplace, some enlightened industrial companies have already discovered that minimising their use of resources and reducing waste makes good sense -- on both economic and environmental grounds. However, almost...

Pack in packaging waste ... and stop damage. (focus on waste).(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... By Clare Campbell, Project Manager, Envirowise Waste costs money, and the link between reducing waste and improving profits is now widely accepted. That is as true of packaging waste as it is of processing wastes and wasted energy or...

Get waste wise. (focus on waste).(WasteWise CD-ROM)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Essentially, waste minimisation is a more effective use of resources. How many companies can honestly say that they make the best use of all inputs and thus cut waste to a minimum? Not all by any means, but what is the best way to start? In...

Stop your profits plunging down the drain. (focus on waste).(reduce water costs)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... How much does water really cost your company? If you don't know, or believe the answer is simply the amount charged for supplying the water you consume, then you may be managing one of the many businesses that could improve its profits through...

What next for waste? -- an industry view: the waste industry is having to broaden its horizons as part of the wider sustainable debate. Peter Jones, External Affairs Director of Biffa, takes an industry viewpoint on the driving forces for change and the vital challenges ahead.(Statistical Data Included)
November 1, 2001... The conventionally regarded waste industry operates as a "back end" process in the economy. As such, practitioners within it are used to having to react and respond to the impact of decisions much further up industrial and commercial supply...

Cutting copper losses can save pounds.(APW Electronics)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Environmental legislation has driven many companies over the last decade to examine their work practices in detail. Companies have to clean up their effluent discharges, and the printed circuit board (PCB) industry is no exception. For...