Tidal power politics: a comparison of political responses to large energy projects in the UK

1992 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 145-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Large Energy ◽  
Tidal Power ◽  
Power Politics ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
Political Responses ◽  
The Uk

The Geotechnical Challenges of Tidal Turbine Projects

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew A. Small ◽  
Greg K. Cook ◽  
Michael J. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Site Investigation ◽  
Tidal Energy ◽  
Tidal Power ◽  
Foundation Design ◽  
Contact Points ◽  
Seabed Topography ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
Tidal Turbine ◽  
The Uk

Tidal energy projects offer a predictable renewable energy source. Therefore several sites around the coast of the United Kingdom (UK) have been identified to have the potential to host multiple array turbine developments that could be used to generate upwards of 100MW each. However, the high tidal energy environment required to provide the input to tidal power devices present a combination of design and installation challenges to developers and engineers. Whilst the water depths are comparable to offshore oil and gas projects in the southern North Sea, tidal energy projects present significantly different seabed and associated geotechnical challenges that require novel solutions. Concerns have been expressed regarding the design of turbine base structures, which is often based upon typical nearshore/offshore soil sampling and geotechnical laboratory testing techniques that are often inappropriate for the seabed materials encountered. This issue is further compounded by the design constraints imposed on the base structure foundations (e.g. tripod gravity base structures). These include strict leveling tolerances required for efficient turbine operation, and which require a detailed understanding of seabed bathymetry at each turbine location where multiple seabed contact points may be required. In addition to the tidal energy turbines, inter-array cables that connect the turbines and export cable routes which distribute the power to shore also present their own design and installation challenges. It is often overlooked, but significant uncertainty lies in the definition of cable corridors with respect to the seabed materials. In many cases burial may be considered as a means of product protection where seabed conditions allow. This paper aims to examine the geotechnical issues associated with the difficult seabed and environmental conditions present at typical tidal turbine sites in the UK and globally in an attempt to offer some potential solutions. These issues typically include; difficulties in performing site investigation operations, coarse mobile seabed sediments, challenging seabed topography, exposed bedrock and hard substrates, derivation of appropriate geotechnical parameters, difficulties in foundation design and installation, high cyclic environmental loading, array and export cable lay, on-bottom stability and mechanical protection, amongst others.

Greater acceptability, lower compensations required? The impact of perceived net benefits on willingness to accept nuclear energy projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Contu ◽  
Elgilani Eltahir Elshareif
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Willingness To Accept ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nuclear Plants ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Support Cost

Purpose This paper aims to estimate willingness to accept (WTA) hypothetical nuclear energy projects and the impact of net perceived benefits across three countries: Italy, a country without nuclear plants in operation; the UK, a country with nuclear plants in operation and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has more recently opted for the inclusion of nuclear energy in its energy mix. These valuations can support cost-benefit analyses by allowing policymakers to account for additional benefits and costs which would be otherwise neglected. Design/methodology/approach Data collection was conducted through online nationwide surveys, for a total of over 4,000 individuals sampled from Italy, the UK and the UAE. The surveys included choice experiments designed to elicit preferences towards nuclear energy in the form of WTA, indicating estimated compensations for welfare worsening changes and questions to measure perceived risks and benefits. Findings The average WTA/Km is the lowest for the case of the UAE. What is more, perceived net positive benefits tend to decrease the WTA required by the UAE respondents? Moreover, across the cases, albeit to a lesser extent with regard to Italy’s case, there is evidence that a more positive benefit perception seems to increase the valuation of environmental and public benefits offered as part of the experiment. Originality/value The contribution of this study is primarily twofold: first, it provides a comparison of WTA values in a context where the availability of choice experiment data is scant; second, it assesses whether and to what extent perceived net positive benefits of nuclear energy impact WTA of nuclear energy projects.

scholarly journals Do local economic interests matter when regulating nationally significant infrastructure? The case of renewable energy infrastructure projects

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Rydin ◽  
Lucy Natarajan ◽  
Maria Lee ◽  
Simon Lock
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Partial Protection ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
The Uk

Government policy in the UK, as in many countries, sees investment in infrastructure projects – particularly large ones – as a key means of supporting the national economy. But where does this leave local economic interests in the loci of these projects? And how does the regulation of such projects handle these interests? These are the questions addressed by this paper in the context of renewable energy projects that are regulated by the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime. Drawing on original research into the regulation of 12 projects – and using thematic analysis of key documents and focus groups with local participants – the analysis highlights the limited understanding of the local economy presented, the challenges that local businesses face in participating and the partial protection offered to them. It concludes by proposing agendas for reforms and future research.

Analyzing the socioeconomic effects of large energy projects

1980 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-286
Author(s):  
Gary S. Stacey ◽  
Mary Laird Duchi
Keyword(s):  
Large Energy ◽  
Energy Projects

Tidal power could reduce UK carbon footprint

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Irish Sea ◽  
Tidal Power ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Price Subsidy ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Irish Sea ◽  
Swansea Bay ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Installed Capacity

Subject Tidal power in the United Kingdom. Significance An independent review commissioned by the government and published on January 12 recommended a power price subsidy be paid to a 320-megawatt (MW) pilot tidal electricity-generating plant at Swansea Bay in Wales. The project could be a pathfinder for a further nine sites on the UK west coast -- in the Severn estuary, Liverpool Bay and the Irish sea -- with total installed capacity of 25,000 MW that would satisfy up to 12% of the country's electricity demand for more than a century, while cutting carbon dioxide emissions. Impacts Seawalls would cost at least 35 billion pounds (44 billion dollars) and turbines, generators and housings another 50 billion pounds. An average of 40,000 jobs a year would be created during a 15-year construction period, with some 7,000 permanent staff required thereafter. The cost of fossil fuel imports could be reduced by 500 million pounds annually once all the plants are operational.

Territorial Politics and Devolution in Scotland

2021 ◽  
pp. 69-102
Author(s):  
Jonathan Bradbury
Keyword(s):  
Policy Process ◽  
The Political ◽  
Central Control ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Political Debate ◽  
Power Politics ◽  
British Labour ◽  
Territorial Politics ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Territorial Change

This chapter addresses territorial politics and the introduction of devolution in Scotland. It discusses the validity of the proposition that, even in Scotland, resources were weak relative to reformers' aspirations. Throughout, the chapter addresses the movement for territorial change in Scotland and explores the proposition that in the context of power politics and resource deficiencies, it adopted constrained aims and incorporated an instrumentalist approach to achieve them. Equally, the chapter considers how the British Labour leadership politically managed the emergence of devolution proposals, and explores the idea that in the context of similar relative resource deficiencies, it adopted a code focused on achieving indirect central control. Finally, the chapter considers the policy process by which devolution proposals were created, both in opposition and in government, and the extent to which it contributed to their perceived effectiveness and legitimacy, and whether Scottish devolution overall could be considered to be a successful reform. To address these issues and theoretical questions, the chapter develops chronologically. Section one focuses on territorial politics and the political debate on the constitutional question in Scotland and at the UK centre in the 1980s. Section two addresses the preparation of devolution policy in Scotland during the 1990s and the significance of the referendum on Scottish devolution held in September 1997. Finally, section three considers the Blair government's preparation of devolution policy 1997–8, the Scotland Act 1998 and plans for its implementation.

scholarly journals A waste of energy? A critical assessment of the investigation of the UK energy market by the Competition and Markets Authority

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrysovalantis Amountzias ◽  
Hulya Dagdeviren ◽  
Tassos Patokos
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Integration ◽  
Energy Markets ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Energy Industry ◽  
Large Energy ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Energy Market ◽  
Competitive Strength ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Energy Companies

In this paper, we assess the findings of the UK energy market investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority, conducted during June 2014–June 2016. We argue that the results of the investigation have been advantageous for the large energy companies and they risk failing to bring any significant and positive change to the energy industry. We highlight three major aspects of the Competition and Markets Authority's assessment. First, the panel examined retail and wholesale segments of the energy industry in isolation, which can be misleading in the assessment of vertical integration. It also considered new entries to the sector as a sign of competitive strength when many were due to favourable government policies in the form of exemptions from various obligations. Second, its conclusion that a position of unilateral market power by the large energy companies arises from weak customer engagement (i.e. low switching rates) shifts the focus and responsibility for the problems of the energy markets away from the conduct of the companies onto customers. Finally, the investigation placed an overemphasis on competition without due reference to its consequences for consumers’ welfare.

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