Deep-sea Mining: A New Gold Rush or Environmental Disaster?
, at the three-week meeting of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the U.N. body responsible for regulating the high seas - areas beyond the jurisdiction of national governments where most deep-sea minerals are found.Governments are racing to obtain a secure supply of critical minerals for low-carbon technologies, but have also made major commitments to protect nature - including a historic deal in March to defend marine biodiversity on the high seas.For example, the Norwegian government last month announced a proposal to open its national waters to deep-sea mining, whereas in January, France
UK: ORE Catapult, NZTC Team Up to Help Power Oil & Gas Platforms with Floating Wind
. While we wait to see the outcome of the INTOG leasing process, it’s important to start looking at the potential technical challenges and exploring the synergies between the offshore wind and oil and gas sectors so that we can use our combined knowledge to accelerate the deployment of low carbon technology.”Graeme Rogerson, Renewables Theme Lead at the Net Zero Technology Centre, said: “INTOG is an excellent opportunity to deploy floating offshore wind and low-carbon technologies to help ramp up for Scotwind and is essential to delivering the ambitious North Sea Transition Deal
Huge Potential for Tidal Energy, Bureau Veritas
and reliable sources of renewable energy in the world."The Government investment is – for the first time – part of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, which invites renewable energy companies from across the UK to bid for a share of £285 million of funding for low carbon technologies. A total of £20m per year has been ring-fenced for tidal stream projects, which represents the biggest investment in a generation into tidal power."Hailing the move as a positive opportunity for the marine energy sector, we hope that the investment will build upon the success
Offshore Energy Outlook for 2020
.The industry has taken notice – and action. Oil and gas giants Shell and Equinor, for example, are taking part in developing renewables projects such as offshore wind farms. Claudio Descalzi, the CEO of Italian oil major Eni, said in October that he sees no future for firms focused solely on hydrocarbons.In fact, many of the sector’s biggest names – from the super majors all the way through the supply chain – have committed to the energy transition. This is good for the environment, but it’s also good business.In the offshore wind sector, many, if not most, of the firms
Aker Solutions Eyes Low Carbon Tech
Northern Lights CO2 storage project in the North Sea."Growth in segments such as renewables and CCUS increases the addressable market for Aker Solutions," Araujo said. "Our ambition is to become the recognized leader in low carbon offerings and sustainable solutions."Other low carbon technologies such as solutions such as subsea gas compression and electrification of production assets and unmanned platforms are also high on the company's agenda.Aker Solutions delivered the world’s first subsea gas compression system to Equinor’s Åsgard field in 2015. The company
Enpro Testing New FIS Technology
system has been proven to improve production, by stimulating the reservoir and increasing the ultimate recovery from existing subsea wells.Scottish Government minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, Paul Wheelhouse MSP and David Rennie Scottish Enterprise’s head of Energy and Low Carbon Technologies, viewed Enpro’s FIS 15kpsi technology first-hand at Subsea Expo Tuesday, in Aberdeen.Ian Donald, Enpro Subsea managing director said, “Our vision is to develop a range of production technologies and services which increase production and oil recovery from our client’s assets
Wave and Tidal Challenges and Opportunities
, highlighting the entry routes and the opportunities most accessible to the U.K. supply chain. We will now be working to act upon the recommendations from the report and put in place a taskforce to ensure that these opportunities are not missed.”Andy McDonald, sector director, energy and low carbon technologies at Scottish Enterprise, commented, “To ensure Scotland maintains its world leading position in subsea engineering, we must continue to develop new opportunities, whilst broadening the delivery of new technology. Key to this is looking at how we adapt the knowledge and experience gained
Offshore Renewables Technologies Get a Boost from FORESEA
global player in the research and development and testing of ocean energy devices, and of Scotland’s status as a major player in the European renewable energy sector. “Moreover it also illustrates very clearly the continued importance of EU funding in helping to bring low carbon technologies to market and to fostering research collaboration – something we are determined to continue, despite the outcome of the EU referendum in which 62 percent of Scots voted to stay in the EU." Rémi Gruet, CEO of Ocean Energy Europe, said, “Europe is the global
Researchers Investigate Mineral Deposits in the Deep Ocean
On 28 October 2016, the Royal Research ship (RRS) James Cook embarked on an expedition to discover new sources of the rare metals critical for low carbon technologies. HR Wallingford scientists, Jon Taylor and Neil Crossouard are on board the research vessel as it heads south west from the Canary Islands to the Tropic Sea mount, where a forty day investigation will use robotic submarines, autonomous seafloor instruments and drilling to answer questions about what controls the formation of marine mineral deposits on the floor of the North East Atlantic. E-tech elements, such as cobalt and tellurium
February 2024
