Wind power generation

Wind turbine blades photographed at a site in Denmark. The issue of what to do with blades when they're no longer needed is a headache for the industry.Jonathanfilskov-photography | Istock | Getty ImagesSpanish energy firm Iberdrola has jointly established a company that will recycle components used in renewable energy installations, including wind turbine blades.In a statement last week Iberdrola said the company, known as EnergyLOOP, would develop a blade recycling facility in Navarre, northern Spain."The initial…

From the Covid-19 pandemic and supply chain shocks to rising inflation and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, governments and businesses around the world are attempting to tackle and solve major crises — many of them interlinked — on multiple fronts.Against this challenging backdrop, energy markets have been roiled, with gas and oil prices surging and fears over security of supply — Russia is a major exporter of hydrocarbons — heightened following the war in Ukraine.All the above is taking place at a time when major economies…

Enel CEO Francesco Starace photographed in 2019. In an interview with CNBC on May 24, 2022, Starace said "you can produce electricity better, cheaper, without using gas."Giulio Napolitano | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe CEO of Italian power firm Enel has cast doubt on the continued benefit of using gas to produce electricity, telling CNBC it is "stupid" and that cheaper and better alternatives are now available.Speaking to CNBC's Steve Sedgwick at the World Economic Forum, Francesco Starace discussed where Europe had…

A wind turbine and coal in Lower Saxony, Germany. The EU's desire to wean itself off Russian hydrocarbons means it will need to find fossil fuels from other parts of the world to plug supply gaps.Mia Bucher | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesThe European Commission has fleshed out details of a plan to ramp up the EU's renewable energy capacity and reduce its reliance on Russian fossil fuels, at the same time acknowledging that existing coal facilities may have to be used for "longer than initially expected."A document…

Alongside their natural beauty, coral reefs have an important role to play in the natural world. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, around one quarter of the ocean's fish rely on healthy coral reefs.Reinhard Dirscherl | Ullstein Bild | Getty ImagesDanish energy firm Orsted plans to try growing corals on the foundations of offshore wind turbines to find out if the method can be carried out on a larger scale.In hand with Taiwanese partners, the concept will be trialed in "the tropical waters…