Energy
Could Moon Mining Mission Be the Key to Sustainable Rocket Fuel?
A mission to mine on the moon could be the key to creating sustainable rocket fuel. That’s the verdict from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the ArianeGroup, which have signed a one-year contract to prepare for a space-based mission…
Drax Becomes ‘World’s First’ Bioenergy Plant to Capture Carbon from Wood-Burning
The giant Drax power station, near Selby in North Yorkshire, has become the first in Europe to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from wood-burning. Drax burns seven million tonnes of wood chips each year to drive generators to make electricity. The…
Australia Rejects New Coal Mine on Environmental Grounds
An Australian court has rejected plans for a new coal mine on environmental grounds. In a landmark ruling for the coal-dependent nation, Chief Justice Brian Preston said the proposed facility in New South Wales would worse climate change and would…
US ‘to Export More Energy Than It Imports by 2020’
The US is expected to export more energy than it imports by 2020 for the first time since the 1950s. That’s according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), which suggests that is likely to happen as increases in crude oil…
Offshore Wind ‘Could Provide Half of UK’s Power Demand’
Offshore wind could provide a cost-effective and low carbon route to providing at least half of the UK’s future electricity demand. That’s the verdict made in a new report commissioned by the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC), which claims a…
Swiss Solar Roofs Could Produce 83% of All Power Demand
Solar panels installed on every roof across Switzerland could produce 83% of the nation’s entire electricity demand. That’s the calculation made by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, which worked out potential generation by combining maps from Swisstopo with weather…
Sheep and Solar Panels? Not a Baaa-d Idea!
A new solar plant in Hawaii relies on a flock of sheep to keep vegetation from growing over its panels. The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative’s new 28MW facility in Lawai has employed the services of 300 of the animals to…