26.06.2023

QRC chief Ian Macfarlane plans to retire from role by end of 2023

After seven years at the helm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane announced today he will retire from the role at the end of the year.  

26.06.2023

New Liebherr R 9300: a cutting-edge 250-tonne mining excavator

• The R 9300 mining excavator – which premiered at Bauma 2022 – is now available for purchase and will enter serial production in 2024
• A pre-series performance test on site confirmed the excavator’s high performance with an average availability of 94%
• This latest machine uses 15% less fuel and improves fuel efficiency by 25% over that of the R 9250, Liebherr Mining’s previous 250-tonne class excavator

The R 9300 Generation 8 – the newest excavator in the Liebherr Mining range – can now be purchased. Following successful validation at a mine in Indonesia, the R 9300 has proven its ability to improve both productivity and efficiency on site. Once the machine enters serial production in 2024, it will replace the R 9250 within the 250-tonne class.  

23.06.2023

Fugro to use new technology in site investigation for French DGEC and RTE Sud-Atlantique wind farms

The Directorate General of Energy and Climate (DGEC) from the French Ministry of Energy Transition and RTE (Réseau de Transport d’Electricité) have awarded Fugro a ground investigation campaign to support the development of future wind farms in the Sud-Atlantique zone of the Bay of Biscay. The Geo-data acquired during the investigation will be used by pre-selected developers for their preliminary engineering design studies and future tenders.  

23.06.2023

Sweden cancels renewable energy targets, Britain should follow

Sweden cancels renewable energy targets, Britain should follow (credits: Net Zero Watch)

Net Zero Watch welcomed the decision of the Swedish government to cancel its targets for “100% renewable energy” supply and shift to a more technology neutral aspiration for “100% fossil-free” energy provision.

This change of policy signals a major change of emphasis that puts Sweden back on track to base its society on nuclear energy.

Announcing the new policy in the Swedish parliament, the finance minister, Elisabeth Svantesson, said: “This creates the conditions for nuclear power. We need more electricity production, we need clean electricity and we need a stable energy system.”

The Swedish decision is an important step in the right direction, implicitly acknowledging the low quality of unstable wind and solar, and is part of a general collapse of confidence in the renewable energy agenda pioneered in the Nordic countries and in Germany.

The United Kingdom has every reason to follow Sweden’s lead but should go further. A small population in a large country such as Sweden can afford to reject fossil fuels, relying on nuclear and hydro and biomass, but the United Kingdom, and other substantial industrialised economies need to face the facts, and understand that only a gas to nuclear pathway is viable to remain industrialised and competitive.

Dr John Constable, NZW’s Energy Director, said: "Living close to Russia focuses the mind, and the Swedish people not only wish to join NATO but also to ground their economy in an energy source, nuclear, that is physically sound and secure, unlike renewables which are neither. For the time being the UK government continues to live in a fantasy of their own making, but we are coming to the end of the green dream."

Source: Net Zero Watch

#nuclear power #wind power #photovoltaics #Sweden (SE) #renewables #politics #United Kingdom (GB) #Energy #energy supply

                     

23.06.2023

Porr wins major contract for Elbe crossing in SuedLink project in Germany

The SuedLink project to construct a powerful direct current transmission line is vital to ensure a secure, stable power supply in the future. It will transport renewable power from wind farms in northern Germany to the south of the country and is a necessary step in the energy transition. The plans for the SuedLink project include a tunnel crossing under the Elbe River. TenneT TSO GmbH, a leading European transmission system operator, has engaged Porr’s tunnelling division for the challenging task of establishing the SuedLink connection under the Elbe between Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony.