Page 7 - Gi flipbook - November 2018

National Grid to pass £111m £111 million from consumers
as Ofgem considers that
Humber pipeline costs to customers the project can be delivered
more efficiently.”
Ofgem regulates
how much Britain’s gas
and electricity network
companies can earn on the
investments they make
from charges to consumers
through their energy bills.
Companies can apply for
additional allowances to
cover extra costs in their
price controls, which had
not been forecast when
they were agreed.
Separately, Ofgem
rejected the majority of
a £123 million request
National Grid is replacing a gas by National Grid to fund
pipeline across the Humber Estuary the maintenance of gas
compressors, capping at
£500,000 the value of the
THE UK ENERGY regulator and electricity transmission FTSE 100 group, which project the company can
will allow National Grid to networks, to recoup £140 it said included “evidence recover from consumers.
pass on £111 million in costs million in costs for the suggesting that the It said it would allow
to consumers to cover most project, which carries gas resilience of the energy National Grid, Wales and
of the expense of replacing from the Easington gas system could be impacted if West Utilities and Cadent
a gas pipeline across the terminal in Yorkshire into the pipeline isn’t replaced”. to recoup an additional
Humber Estuary, reversing the national gas system. “Ofgem has now decided £96 million in costs to fund
its previous position. The Financial Times to allow National Grid to resilience to physical and
Ofgem at first indicated reports that the regulator recover the efficient costs cyber security threats, street
it would reject a request has since changed its mind of replacing the pipeline,” works and compensation to
by National Grid, which after new information it said. “The company will landowners for disruption
runs Britain’s central gas was submitted by the only be allowed to recover caused by gas pipelines. ■

Hydrogen plane looks to gain serious altitude

A SINGAPORE-BASED prototype Element One system”, reports Energy electric aviation.”
aviation firm is developing uses ultra-light hydrogen Live News. HES is now in discussion
a hydrogen-powered plane fuel cells and can be The company aims to with industrial-scale
it says will offer zero refuelled in less than develop its first flying hydrogen producers to
emission flights. ten minutes using an prototype before 2025. The explore energy-efficient
HES Energy Systems’ automated “nacelle swap plane is designed to carry refuelling systems using
just four passengers at renewable solar or wind
distances of between 500 energy produced locally.
and 5,000km, depending on Targeting a first flying
HES
whether its hydrogen fuel is prototype before 2025,
stored in gaseous or liquid HES is in the process of
form. HES Energy Systems building a technical and
claims the plane is “several commercial consortium
orders of magnitude” better involving both the aviation
than any battery-electric and hydrogen ecosystems.
aircraft. In June, a study
Its founder Taras recommended replacing
Wankewycz said: “Element 30 per cent of the UK’s
One’s design paves the way domestic gas supply with
HES Energy Systems’ Element One for renewable hydrogen hydrogen in order to
as a long-range fuel for reduce carbon emissions. ■

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News.indd 2 18/10/2018 13:12