Select Committee on Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Written Evidence


Annex C

COMMERCIALISATION AND CARBON FOOT PRINT OF RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES (IDENTIFIED IN TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE INQUIRY)


Technology
Feasibility
Costs (2006 prices and costs)
Time to market
Reliability
Carbon footprint

Onshore Wind
Proven technology.

1.8 GW deployed.
Large high wind—£62/MWh

Large low wind—£74/MWh[177]
Being deployed.
Availability of >75% and improving with greater deployment and experience.

Capacity factor[178]:

Large high wind—31%

Large low wind 26%
The energy payback of wind farms has been estimated at 3-10 months[179]
Offshore Wind
Currently only commercially viable with extra support via the RO and continued support to drive down costs. 304MW deployed.
£91/MWh[180]
Early deployment.
As with other emerging technologies, early projects have experienced problems but it is hoped that solutions will be found as deployment increases.

Capacity factor[181]:

31%
The energy payback of wind farms has been estimated at 3-10 months[182]
Photovoltaics
Proven technology but needs high levels of support for commercial operation.

14MW deployed[183]
£635/MWh[184]
Being deployed, but "new" products required for mass market on commercial terms
Capacity factor[185]:

16%
The energy payback of PV has been estimated at 3-4 years[186].
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
Technical feasibility has been demonstrated, but significant techno-economic barriers need to be overcome. This requires R&D breakthroughs—it is not just a question of economies of scale.
Some niche markets are cost-competitive now, but mainstream applications such as stationary power generation and transport require a reduction of 1-2 orders of magnitude.
Niche applications—1-2 years;

Stationary (distributed) power generation/CHP—from 2010 ;

Transport (internal combustion engine) replacement—from 2020
For commercialisation, need >5,000hrs for passenger cars and >40,000hrs for distributed power generation. This has not yet been demonstrated but technical progress is being made.
It all depends how the hydrogen is produced. Fuel cells can show carbon reductions even when operated on conventional fuels such as natural gas, but the real benefits will only be obtained with low carbon methods of producing hydrogen.
Wave
Early stage demonstration not yet commercially proven at large-scale
£199/MWh[187]
Small scale arrays planned. The long-term commercial prospects still uncertain.
Capacity Factor: 30%[188]
Dependent upon individual device but expected to be relatively short.
Tidal-stream
Early stage demonstration not yet commercially viable.
£181/MWh[189]
The long-term commercial prospects still uncertain. But MW scale tidal- stream protégés planned to be installed in 2007.
Capacity Factor: 35%[190]
Dependent upon individual device but expected to be relatively short.
Bioenergy
Proven technology. Commercially viable under current regime where affordable fuel supplies are available.
Co-firing regular—£90/MWH

Co-firing energy crop—£67/MWh

Biomass regular—£90/MWh

Biomass energy crop—£122/MWh

Biomass CHP—£135/MWh[191]
Being deployed. Although research and development still required for advanced conversion technologies and second generation biofuels.
Capacity Factor[192]:

Co-firing regular—90%

Co-firing energy crop—90%

Biomass regular—80%

Biomass energy crop—80%

Biomass CHP—80%
This is dependent on the type of biomass used, the conversion efficiency, the end use and any co-products involved.
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Proven technology.
£800-£1300 per kW depending on geology and building application[193]
Being deployed
No comparable data available.
The electricity used to drive a GSHP system means that there are some carbon emissions associated with its use.








177   Medium levelised costs (real) Impact of banding the Renewables Obligation-Cost of electricity production-March 2007. Back

178   Capacity factor represents the % of the theoretical maximum capacity of a given technology producing electricity 24 hours a day every day of the year. Impact of banding the Renewables Obligation-Cost of electricity production-March 2007. Back

179   Wind Power in the UK, Sustainable Development Commission. Back

180   Medium levelised costs (real) Impact of banding the Renewables Obligation-Cost of electricity production-March 2007. Back

181   Capacity factor represents the % of the theoretical maximum capacity of a given technology producing electricity 24 hours a day every day of the year. Impact of banding the Renewables Obligation-Cost of electricity production-March 2007. Back

182   Wind Power in the UK, Sustainable Development Commission. Back

183   IEA PVPS Annual Report 2006. Back

184   Medium levelised costs (real) Impact of banding the Renewables Obligation-Cost of electricity production-March 2007. Back

185   Capacity factor represents the % of the theoretical maximum capacity of a given technology producing electricity 24 hours a day every day of the year. Impact of banding. Back

186   http://www.iea-pvps.org/pv/index.htm Back

187   Medium levelised costs (real) Impact of banding the Renewables Obligation-Cost of electricity production-March 2007. Back

188   Capacity factor represents the percentage of the theoretical maximum capacity of a given technology producing electricity 24 hours a day every day of the year. Impact of banding. Back

189   Medium levelised costs (real) mpact of banding the Renewables Obligation-Cost of electricity production-March 2007. Back

190   Capacity factor represents the % of the theoretical maximum capacity of a given technology producing electricity 24 hours a day every day of the year. Impact of banding. Back

191   Medium levelised costs (real) Impact of banding the Renewables Obligation-Cost of electricity production-March 2007. Back

192   Capacity factor represents the % of the theoretical maximum capacity of a given technology producing electricity 24 hours a day every day of the year. Impact of banding the Renewables Obligation-Cost of electricity production-March 2007. Back

193   Renewable Heat and Heat from Combined Heat and Power Plants-Study and Analysis Report, AEA. Back


 
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Prepared 19 June 2008