The Public Supports Renewables

YouGov survey reveals that more than half of the UK population strongly support renewables and would like to see more investment in wind power. Commissioned by the Sunday Times the survey asks a series of questions about the country’s future energy provision, climate change commitments and other environmental issues.

As described by James Murray from BusinessGreen.com, the survey results were “explosive”, specially for the right-wing press which has been campaigning against climate change, wind farms, renewable energy, and the green levies that pay for it.

The survey starts with a series of less important question from an Energy Broker standpoint. For example, do you support or oppose a high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds or do you support or oppose a new airport in the Thames Estuary.

But from page nine onwards is where we find the real point of interest. “Thinking about the country’s future energy provision, do you think the government should be looking to use more or less of the following?”

Solar power

• More than at present – 74%
• Less than at present – 6%
• Maintain current levels – 12%
• Not sure – 9%

Wind farms

• More than at present – 56%
• Less than at present – 19%
• Maintain current levels – 15%
• Not sure – 9%

Nuclear power stations

• More than at present – 35%
• Less than at present – 27%
• Maintain current levels – 23%
• Not sure – 15%

Oil power stations

• More than at present – 10%
• Less than at present – 47%
• Maintain current levels – 27%
• Not sure – 17%

Coal power stations

• More than at present – 16%
• Less than at present – 43%
• Maintain current levels – 25%
• Not sure – 17%

Q. Do you think the government is right or wrong to subsidise wind farms to encourage more use of wind power?

• Right 60%
• Wrong 26%
• Don’t know 15%

Q. Do you think increased use of wind power is or is not a realistic way of combating climate change?

• Realistic 47%
• Not realistic 36%
• Don’t know 16%

Q. Do you think increased use of solar power is or is not a realistic way of combating climate change?

• Realistic 67%
• Not realistic 18%
• Don’t know 15%

It is important to note that the above results are an average of all the various demographic, political and regional breakdowns that compile the survey. For instance if we drill down the results we will notice that there is a clear age bias when it comes down to subsidising wind farms, 18-24 voters are far more supportive (70%) than 60+ voters (48%).

Despite a difference in opinion from different age groups the survey shows that the vocal minority (and their powerful media allies) who are against investments in renewable energy solutions don’t reflect the British public opinion (silent majority) who clearly favour such approach.

We would like to hear you opinion now

Do you think the Government should invest more on renewable energy resources?

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About YouGov

YouGov is a global market research consultancy and the authoritative measure of consumer behaviour and public opinion in the UK.

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Natural Gas to Pass Coal

Natural Gas is set to become the world’s second-biggest source of energy by 2025. This sure has been the year of natural gas, or we are yet to see the golden age of natural gas? According to ExxonMobil’s latest annual survey the fossil fuel will overtake coal and become the world’s nº2 overall fuel source in precise 13 years.

Since the beginning of the year natural gas has been making the headlines of major newspapers around the globe. First were the shortage threats due to the turmoil in the middle-east then the devastating Tsunami in Japan which forced the world’s biggest importer to increase its demand even further pushing the commodity price up.

There is no doubt that natural gas is about to enter a golden age and ExxonMobil’s annual survey has only strengthened that theory. According to the survey global demand for natural gas will soar by 60pc between now and 2040.

Abundance and the needs for cleaner energy resources will also be major factors to help natural gas become the world’s second-biggest energy source.

Despite the controversy behind shale gas and its extraction methods, the US energy company also predicts that a higher proportion of natural gas will be extracted from shale rock. Although exploration has been stopped in parts of the US and France, energy companies are investing heavily in it, including ExxonMobil who last year bought shale-gas producer XTO Energy for 16 billion pounds.

The survey also forecasts that global energy demand will grow about 30% by 2040 as the world population climbs to nine billion from seven billion. It is important to note that most of this increase will come from developing nations as energy demand growth in developed nations is expected to be modest in coming years due to efficiency improvements.

Meanwhile developing energy demand on developing nations will grow by 57%, with demand for electricity to rise by 80% as the quality of live in those countries improves.

Another point in favour of gas is the development of floating LNG terminals which will make viable the extraction of natural gas reserves that are either to small or are too far out to warrant a pipeline to shore.

Conservative estimations calculate stranded gas reserves around the world at 240,000-290,000bn cubic feet, but numbers could much higher since these numbers don’t take into account gas which is stranded in either, shallow water, very small fields, ice-prone areas, or those yet to be found.

Be it from shale rock or from stranded offshore reserves natural gas is surely becoming a viable energy resource for many nations thanks to technological advancements and mainly because it is cleaner than oil and coal.

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Energy Market Report December 2011

Our monthly analysis of the UK gas and power markets is now available on line for the month of December 2011. The service is intended to keep you up to date with all the major news in Europe’s gas and power markets. It is also designed to keep power executives focused on market activity in an easy to digest format.

Your find our December 2011 report here and all historical energy reports can be located here.

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Floating LNG Terminals

As the world continues to look for a fuel to meet the ever growing global demand many alternatives are emerging to solve the problem. Due to its lower CO2 emissions than oil and coal, natural gas is presenting itself as viable and cost effective alternative with many developments in progress in the field like shale gas and the renaissance of Floating LNG Terminals (FLNG).

While many are striving to get a head start on the controversial shale gas rush others are seeking cost effective alternatives to extract natural gas in offshore areas too far or too small to warrant a pipeline to shore.

One of the biggest challenges of offshore LNG extraction is the transportation to shore often done by expensive pipelines, which also limits how far offshore the fossil fuel can be extracted. Floating LNG terminals have proven to be a cost effective alternative to that problem.

Floating LNG production, storage and offloading concepts (LNG FPSOs), have been discussed and evaluated in various forms for many years and only now thanks to technological innovations the concept has become a viable alternative.

Many countries like Australia, Nigeria, Namibia and Brazil who recently discovered the world’s largest offshore oil and gas reserves hundreds of kilometres away from its coast line in ultra-deep-water fields known as the pre-salt, are already developing floating LNG plants.

But it is Royal Dutch Shell who will be the first company to deploy the technology and it will do in style. Shell’s Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) Project will be the largest and most impressive floating object ever to be constructed.

Shell’s Floating LNG Terminals

Shell’s floating LNG terminal will be 488 metres long and weigh 600,000 tonnes – six times that of the largest aircraft carrier. The cost of this juggernaut of the seas was not revealed but one can easily predict that will pass the 7 or 8 digits mark.

Conservative estimations calculate stranded gas reserves around the world at 240,000-290,000bn cubic feet, but numbers could much higher since these numbers don’t take into account gas which is stranded in either, shallow water, very small fields, ice-prone areas, or those yet to be found.

Floating LNG Terminals could prove to an alternative for the UK if distant North Sea gas reserves are discovered in the near future. It would sure bring more security to the industry and help reduce business electricity and business gas prices.

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