Latest news with #supergrid
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Abnormal load under escort to close North Yorkshire roads
A 200-tonne "supergrid transformer" will be escorted through North Yorkshire later, with several rolling road closures planned to accommodate abnormal load's route will follow the A19 from Middlesbrough through Birdforth, Thormanby and Shipton by Beningbrough before turning onto Overton 80-metre specialist vehicle will transport the transformer, which will travel at a reduced speed accompanied by a police of its size, in some areas, benches, litter bins and road signs will be temporarily removed, and parking restrictions may be put in place. When the road is single carriageway or "too narrow", the convoy will travel under a rolling road closure, meaning other vehicles may be stopped at points along the supergrid transformer is one of eight National Grid transformers to be delivered to Overton and Monk Fryston electrical substations by October 2025, as part of the ongoing Yorkshire Green McGready, National Grid project director, said: "Supergrid transformers are essential to our project to upgrade and reinforce the high-voltage energy network in Yorkshire and further afield."We are working closely with other organisations to limit as much of the potential disruption as possible, and we'd like to thank local communities for their support and understanding while we undertake this vital work."Letters have been sent to local residents directly affected by the load. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Irish Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Lobby group for pan-European renewables ‘supergrid' launched by Irishwoman Lesley O'Connor
A new lobby group dedicated to accelerating the planning and delivery of a pan-European 'supergrid' for renewable energy has been formed by Irishwoman Lesley O'Connor. The organisation, SupergridEurope, will be guided by the vision set out in a book on the subject by Ms O'Connor's father, the renewables pioneer Eddie O'Connor who died last year. It was co-authored by Kevin O'Sullivan, who is environment and science editor with The Irish Times. The launch of the group comes ahead of the European Commission's grids package in the autumn, which will include legislation to ensure cross-border integrated grid planning. Ms O'Connor is a renewable energy investor with over a decade's experience advancing decarbonisation projects. She is a non-executive director of Aker Mainstream Renewables and has served on the board of Mainstream Renewable Power since 2015. READ MORE Ms O'Connor launched think-tank Trifecta Ireland aimed at influencing energy policy here in May. SupergridEurope, which will be based in Brussels, will be led by executive director Christian Kjaer who has extensive experience with renewables groups and is chief public affairs officer at SuperNode, chairman of CurrENT, and former chief executive of WindEurope. As a central policy priority, SupergridEurope is calling for the establishment of a European energy agency to serve as an independent grid architect. This agency would complement the Energy Union Task Force, work with the European Investment Bank, and be tasked with co-ordinating long-term grid planning. It would be tasked with providing transparent data, identifying grid innovation gaps, overseeing the delivery of big cross-border infrastructure, and ensuring that Europe's energy system evolves to meet its climate and competitiveness ambitions. 'The realisation of a pan-European electricity supergrid is no longer a technical debate – it's an urgent political priority for maintaining European competitiveness that requires governance reform,' said Ms O'Connor. SupergridEurope said Europe must move beyond 'fragmented initiatives' to drive European competitiveness through innovation, affordable energy and the reduction of excessive dependences. 'Using innovative grid technologies, we can provide cost-competitive, indigenous energy across a unified European market,' it said. Mr Kjaer said a supergrid is the 'enabler for establishing the free movement of electricity as a fifth European freedom'.
Irish Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
We cannot continue with dirty, scarce and expensive energy to power our society
Ireland stands at a critical juncture in its energy future. We can lead the way in European renewables , developing energy that is clean, secure and affordable for all. But this opportunity is not unique to us and if we don't act decisively, others will seize that chance ahead of us. Ireland has among the highest electricity prices in Europe, with household bills 30 per cent above the average. Some reports estimate up to 550,000 Irish households are in energy poverty. Meanwhile, we sleepwalk towards costs as high as €26 billion in 2030 for missing EU emissions targets , putting us among the worst in Europe per capita. A significant portion of this is attributable to the energy system, despite enviable wind resources. This is not just an economic issue, it's a social one, and every day it compounds the climate crisis . Historically, Ireland lacked the natural resources that fuelled previous industrial revolutions. But we have abundant wind and ample solar, which can be harnessed economically. There is unnecessary waste, in terms of the wind and solar we already produce and in how we use energy that pollutes. What we are missing is a unifying, system-wide vision and implementation plan. Without this, we remain a bystander in the electric revolution. READ MORE My father, the late Eddie O'Connor , saw the potential of Ireland's enormous renewable resources long before others. He challenged us to make the possible a reality. His big ideas, such as a European supergrid, are closer now than ever. Inspired by his vision, along with my own observations and input from many stakeholders, I established Trifecta Ireland, a non-profit 'do and think tank' to catalyse system change. The name refers to the triple objective of clean, secure and affordable energy for all. Our mission is to realise the social, environmental and economic opportunities of decarbonisation. We need a unified vision for our desired energy future, as well as a system-wide master plan dynamic enough to adapt to emerging technology. We must leverage innovation, international evidence and expertise. Trifecta Ireland will work with the State and industry, science and society to create the conditions needed for investment in electrification and renewable energy infrastructure. Trifecta is focused on collaboration, bringing together experts from government, industry, research and communities to shape a shared path forward for Ireland's energy future. One initial priority is to develop a credible vision and roadmap for transforming how we produce, use and manage energy. This plan will lay out clear, practical steps to reach a zero-carbon energy system by 2050. We will draw on top global systems change and mega-project delivery expertise. With the authors of How Big Things Get Done – a Financial Times Book of the Year nominee – we will apply the evidence-based principles of delivering mega-projects on time and on budget. This will involve convening across sectors to find solutions for our immediate challenges and the multi-decade programme to transform our green economy. We will catalyse projects to accelerate emissions reduction, improve affordability and unlock investment at scale. If we get this right, in addition to tackling climate change and delivering cleaner and more secure energy, we can achieve a reduction in our cost of living and doing business. It can bring about an economic transformation benefiting all of us. In Europe, a competitiveness crisis rages on. The energy market is almost dysfunctional and favours fossil fuels. This will be felt acutely in Ireland unless we begin to plan differently for our energy, with a view to present and future. Our economy and society's most vulnerable people are at risk. We cannot continue with dirty, scarce and expensive energy to power our society, when technology exists to secure the opposite in abundance. Ireland cannot succeed alone. We will require a substantial amount of private capital to support many of our efforts to reduce carbon emissions. But here, as elsewhere, there has not been sufficient investment. Uncertainty, delay and the policy implementation gap are barriers to securing that funding. This is compounded by ongoing macro issues such as higher interest rates. Our Government and governments everywhere must recognise their responsibilities and prioritise resources for implementation. By collaborating with industry, we can create the enabling investment conditions that have been missing. With credible long-term plans and deliberate regulation to reduce systemic risk, investor confidence will increase and capital will flow. Things can get moving at pace. Collaboration between government and industry is vital. The role of communities in deploying today's solutions and driving tomorrow's transformation is critical. All sectors of Irish society must be actively engaged. Lesley O'Connor is founder of Trifecta Ireland
Bloomberg
26-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Malaysia, Singapore Explore Importing Wind Energy from Vietnam
Major power companies in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam have agreed to explore renewable energy links across their borders, as Southeast Asia takes steps to realize its long-held vision of a regional supergrid. The 'industry alliance' will look to export green electricity, especially offshore wind power, from Vietnam to the other two countries, according to a statement from Singapore's Sembcorp Industries Ltd. on Monday.
