cc: N.JENKINS@umist.ac.uk date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 11:34:24 +0100 from: J.A.Halliday@rl.ac.uk subject: RE: Text on renewables & RC programmes to: m.hulme@uea.ac.uk Mike, Lots of text - perhaps best to print it out : Firstly text for the Challenge 2 : renewables section. 'The Centre will seek to compliment the EPSRC research programme on New and Renewable Energy Technologies (RNET) and the DTI's R&D programme by initiating pre-proposal feasibility studies and thus linking into the existing EPSRC & DTI programmes. The Centre will also seek to extend on a cross-research council basis the concept pioneered by the Engineering programme of EPSRC of funding networks to encourage communication between academics and industry, this would ensure that economic, social science, biological and environmental expertise is used to the full when considering the technical solutions to the carbon-free supply of energy. This mirrors the whole philosophy of the Centre that the way forward is to encourage cross-discipline research and development into Climate Change problems. The Centre would draw upon the experience of the Energy Research Unit at RAL who are co-ordinating an EPSRC-funded network with over 200 members in the field of Offshore Wind Energy.' **************************************************************************** ******************* Next info on programmes - UMIST have bid into a), RAL&UMIST have bid into b) and RAL are co-ordinating an EPSRC Network on Offshore Wind Energy funded under c), RAL/UMIST have bid into d): a) EPSRC's ELECTRICITY SUPPLY RESEARCH FOR THE 21ST CENTURY A Programme addressing research issues for the Power Generation, Transmission & Distribution Sector. ESR21 addresses research issues for the electricity generation, transmission and distribution sector, building on previous EPSRC support through ERCOS. The Programme operates with two calls for Proposals per year (normally in April and October). The Programme will be funded by the Engineering for Infrastructure, the Environment & Healthcare Programme and Materials Programme. Additional funding, on a project by project basis, will be available from the DTI for projects addressing research priorities identified by the Foresight for Energy Clean Coal Power Generation Taskforce. The estimated Programme budget is £2M per annum, over 3 years (assuming sufficient high quality research proposals). b)EPSRC's RENEWABLE AND NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES CALL FOR OUTLINE RESEARCH PROPOSALS Deadlines for outline proposals: 14 May 1999 and 8 October 1999 1. INTRODUCTION Proposals are invited for the funding of research projects at eligible academic institutions through a new EPSRC programme in Renewable and New Energy Technologies. The programme will commit up to £3.5 million per annum for new research projects, depending on the quality of proposals received. This document provides the scope of the programme, describes the assessment process and gives contact points for further information. 2. BACKGROUND EPSRC is giving a new focus to research into renewable energy and the enabling technologies. Some of this research has been funded through previous EPSRC programmes (e.g. Photovoltaic Technologies, Fuel Cells, Energy Storage & Recovery) and to a lesser extent through the responsive mode (e.g. wind energy, grid connection). However, EPSRC is aware of new challenges and opportunities for multi-disciplinary research which might be funded through this new activity. EPSRC funds research that has a bearing in the medium-to-long-term, but is aware of current Government policy being developed by DTI. The range of such research is potentially huge, but this call for proposals is based on the recommendations of Halcrow Gilbert Associates (HGa) who were contracted to carry out a scoping study on EPSRC's behalf, through the use of questionnaires, interviews and a consultation workshop. 3. OBJECTIVES In encouraging this field of research, EPSRC has the following objectives: · to focus on medium-to-long-term key research issues for the renewable and clean energy industries · to fund research that will take forward and inform Government policy on new and renewable energy · to continue to take forward the objectives of Foresight, in particular the recommendations of the Energy and Marine Foresight Panels · to allow the development of collaborative/interdisciplinary (larger) programmes of research · to fund more speculative research projects, e.g. (smaller) feasibility studies · to encourage networking between academia and industry · to coordinate activities with the DTI's New and Renewable Energy programme. c)EPSRC's ENGINEERING PROGRAMME NETWORKS Introduction: EPSRC funding is available for the support of UK based Networks which link academic and industrial groups in new or enhanced collaborations. Proposals can be submitted at any time in responsive mode or against managed programmes (as stand alone proposals), should address priorities within Engineering as identified in the current EPSRC Programme Landscapes 1998/99 and cover a period of up to 3 years. Objectives: The development of Networks is to encourage the transfer of ideas, experimental techniques, models, and technological and scientific insights both within the engineering research community and with the appropriate interfacing science, technology and industrial groups. By supporting the establishment of Networks, which bring together groups with related objectives, EPSRC will encourage mobility between disciplines, between Universities and between academe and industry. The increased cohesion within the community should encourage innovation and creativity and develop ideas for future support from EPSRC, or European or other international research programmes. d) CEC - Framework V - Non Nuclear Energy - 1999 budget = 207.8 MEuro, 2000 budget = 220 MEuro : much of which is for demonstration projects though collaborative research is also encouraged. Key driver is quote 'Council resolution on Renewable Energies of May 1998 which considered the target of doubling the share of renewables in the EU energy balance from 6% today to 12% in 2010' end quote. **************************************************************************** *********** Extract from Govt White Paper for you to extract bits from : New & Renewable Energy- Prospects for the 21st Century -issued in March 1999 Foreword by John Battle Minister for Energy and Industry New & Renewable Prospects for the 21st Century By their nature fossil fuels will inevitably run out. New and renewable energies will therefore become one of the world's main energy sources in the new millennium. Developing a thriving renewables industry in the UK therefore represents a real opportunity for UK plc. It provides a three term "win-win-win" equation: encouraging the development of new technologies; creating new jobs; and tackling global environmental challenges. Renewable sources of energy make an important contribution to secure, sustainable and diverse energy supplies and are an essential element of a cost-effective climate change programme. The Government is working towards a target of renewable energy providing 10 per cent of UK electricity supplies as soon as possible. It hopes to achieve this by 2010. Whilst this is an ambitious target it is not an end in itself. Rather the programme outlined in this document (and on which we would welcome your views) aims to give new and renewable technologies a push in the right direction. I do not want to see renewables stop at 10 per cent. I want to see a strong, world-beating industry develop in the UK. I also expect renewables not only to generate power, but also to provide heat and transport for our homes, industry and commerce in centuries to come. Renewables are not only important in generating jobs and developing future industries, they will also play a crucial role in enabling the UK to meet our environmental targets of reducing greenhouse gases by 12.5 per cent by 2008-2012 and our goal of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide by 20 per cent by 2010. As Tony Blair has emphasised, this Government is committed to putting the environment at the heart of our decision making. As the Kenyan proverb says, "The earth was not given to us by our parents, it was loaned to us by our children". We all have a responsibility to ensure that the way we live today does not adversely affect the inheritance we leave for generations to come. This Government is therefore committed to encouraging sustainable development; to developing policies and encouraging behaviour which combines economic, social and environmental objectives to ensure a better quality of life for everyone. We must find new patterns of production and consumption that are globally sustainable. Sustainability should not be seen as a barrier or burden to business. Rather it is economic common sense. The drive to sustainability will stimulate invention and innovation and will bring new opportunities for business and growth, both here and in export markets overseas. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the renewables industry. The skills and the will are already there in the embryonic UK renewables industry. Some 650MW of renewable energy capacity from Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) Orders 1-5, Scottish Renewable Orders (SRO) 1-3 and Northern Ireland Orders (NI-NFFO) 1-2 are currently operational. The fifth Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation which I announced last September represented the biggest and cheapest order to date. A record 261 projects were contracted under the Order with a capacity of 1,177MW of electricity - enough to supply the needs of 1.4 million homes. Furthermore, with the low cost of most of the near-market technologies supported, an average price of 2.71p/kWh for the latest Order was just off the competitive market price. Currently around 3,500 people are directly employed in the renewables industry in over 700 companies. The majority of companies involved in the renewables industry are small and medium sized enterprises. However large multinational companies based in the UK are also moving into the field. BP/Amoco for example has a growing solar business. National Wind Power, a subsidiary of National Power, already has some 10 projects across the UK and has further projects in development world-wide. British industry is also involved in the development of new energy technologies for the future. Rolls Royce and Johnson Matthey, amongst others, are involved in the development of fuel cell technology. Two per cent of the UK's electricity supply already comes from renewables. Renewable projects range from wind farms (such as the community owned Harlock Hill windfarm in Cumbria or the Border Wind semi-offshore facility in Blyth harbour), to energy from waste stations (such as the CHP plant at St James' Hospital in Leeds which uses medical waste to generate electricity) and hydro-electric stations (such as the 4.2MW Elan Valley project in mid-Wales). As further projects become operational, the proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources should rise to 5 per cent by 2003. However, we cannot stand still. A real drive is needed over the next decade to push renewables into the next millennium. For its part the Government has already allocated £43.5 million over the next three years to investment in the development of new and renewable energy. But Government cannot make this happen on its own. In this document we have set out our analysis of the status and prospects for renewables; we have also looked at the kinds of support mechanisms which might be used. I would welcome your views. I am determined for energy supplies to become more and more sustainable, and as part of that I want to see the contribution which renewables make to electricity supplies increase way beyond 10 per cent over the course of the 21st Century, and I encourage you to help make this vision a reality. John Battle MP Minister for Energy and Industry Summary The Government has a Manifesto commitment to "a new and strong drive to develop renewable sources of energy". It has undertaken a review of the status and prospects of renewables, including an examination of what would be necessary and practicable to achieve 10 per cent of UK electricity requirements from renewables by 2010 and what contribution renewables could make to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This Consultation Paper reports on the outcome of that review and possible ways forward in implementing the Government's new drive for renewables. One very clear outcome of the review is to reaffirm the Government's commitment to the development of renewables and to ensuring they make an increasing contribution to our energy supplies. The Government intends to work towards the aim of achieving 10 per cent of the UK's electricity supply from renewables. Renewables are an essential component of any cost-effective climate change strategy. Achieving the 10 per cent target could lead to a reduction of 5 million tonnes in UK carbon emissions, making a valuable contribution to our overall climate change strategy. But the key role of renewables will be in the longer term; over time, we will have to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and turn increasingly to energy efficiency and non-fossil sources. Although the Government hopes that it will be able to achieve its 10 per cent target by around 2010, its key priority is therefore to ensure that momentum is maintained so that even after 2010 the share of renewables can continue to rise in response to the need to limit greenhouse gas emissions to a sustainable level. This will require a level playing field for renewables in competitive energy markets. As this Paper indicates, the Government has already made a very strong commitment to renewable energy. The Government's support for renewables means that, by 2003, 5 per cent of our electricity should be provided by renewables compared to the current figure of 2 per cent. The Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO - see box on page 22) has provided over £600 million of support for renewables to date. The Government has introduced the 5th Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation Order (NFFO 5) for England and Wales in 1998 - the largest ever - and the Third Scottish Renewables Order in 1999. Support for renewables under the NFFO arrangements, which has declined recently, will accelerate again in the first decade of the next century and could rise to around £150 million a year. The programme has been successful in its objective of driving down costs - the cost of generating electricity under NFFO contracts has been halved over the past decade and the more mature renewables technologies are now almost competitive. Similarly, the Government has announced that it is to reverse the downward trend in expenditure on the renewables research and development programme which complements the NFFO arrangements. A new and growing R&D effort is now under way: expenditure will rise from around £10 million in the current financial year to £18 million in the year 2001-2002. **************************************************************************** ****************** Hope this helps ! Jim