In case you missed it, a new report released earlier this week by the good people at Environment North Carolina confirms once again the utter folly of the Trump administrations plan to bring offshore oil drilling to the North Carolina coast. This is from the release that accompanied the report:

Plans to expand drilling off the coast of North Carolina could have significant negative impacts onshore, according to a new report released by Environment North Carolina Research & Policy Center. From pipelines running through sensitive coastal habitats to air pollution released by oil refineries, Offshore Drilling, Onshore Damage: Broken Pipelines, Dirty Refineries and the Pollution Impacts of Energy Infrastructure highlights how onshore industrial infrastructure created for offshore drilling damages our environment in a variety of ways.

According to the report, pipelines running from offshore rigs to inland processing facilities can degrade estuaries water quality and risk spilling oil across our beloved beaches. In addition, toxic waste brought onshore from drilling operations can pollute drinking water and tracts of land. Beyond those issues, air pollution from oil refineries can threaten local residents health.

The study shows that these problems could only get worse. Expanding offshore drilling, as the Department of the Interior proposed last year, could lead to additional infrastructure pollution in previously pristine coastal areas, where communities have long been able to avoid this type of industrialization.

[Oil companies] must undertake a proper impact assessment in order to really avoid the most sensitive receptors, taking into account for example, commercial fishing areas, coastal tourism, reefs, right whale migration routes and shipwrecks, says Dr. Joni Backstrom of UNC Wilmington.

The North Carolina coast, along with Florida and Louisiana, are the three most impacted coastlines for storm occurrences in the U.S. Though platforms are designed to resist storm impacts, there have certainly been issues with platforms, pipelines, and onshore storage facilities. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 led to spills of over 11 million gallons, says Professor Roger Shew (also of UNCW), And with somewhat increasing storm intensities, such as seen with Dorian and Michael, we should be aware of the possibilities of damages associated with these types of storms.

In January 2018, the Trump administration released a plan to open more than 90 percent of Americas oceans to oil & gas drilling, including off North Carolinas coast. The plan is an unprecedented expansion of offshore drilling and faces stiff opposition, including from every governor along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Whether it causes oil spills off our coast or pollution on our shores, offshore drilling is dirty and dangerous, said Duvall, We dont want drilling off our coast, now or ever.

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New "must read' report confirms once again that offshore drilling is not for NC | The Progressive Pulse - The Progressive Pulse

Sometimes, the medical profession and governments are on the same page. Examples are public health initiatives like immunisation programs or bowel cancer and cervical screening programs, when medical expertise informs policy.

This week we sadly saw the opposite, an ugly clash between medical ethics and political expedience.

On one side, there were 13 medical colleges, the Australian Medical Association and thousands of doctors who were arguing passionately to keep the medevac process in place.

On the other side, a government hell-bent on repealing a piece of legislation that gave doctors the ability to carry out our professional oath to do no harm, and to put the patients needs at the forefront of decisions about medical care.

When I heard about the repeal of the medevac legislation, I felt a mixture of emotions, but mainly a profound sense of sadness. This repeal signals a return to the governments unambiguously cruel and inhumane policy in the treatment of a small cohort of people seeking asylum. These are among the most vulnerable people on the planet.

The decision to repeal medevac is an absolute violation of Australias obligations under international law to provide these refugees with safe asylum and medical care. It also strikes at the heart of our medical training and ethical principles.

Before medevac, medical treatment of refugees in offshore detention was often delayed until conditions were life threatening and even then, human rights lawyers were often forced to fight for their transfer in the courts. Before medevac, 12 people died in offshore detention.

Usually cloaked in secrecy, the dire situation on Nauru and Manus Island began to emerge in late 2018. Brave whistleblowers, risking a jail sentence for speaking out, told us of the intolerable conditions in Australian offshore refugee facilities.

So now we go back to politicians and bureaucrats deciding who lives and who dies

When the medevac legislation was passed, the government made no apparent attempt to set up a process to honour the new law. It was left to a group of doctors who came to be known as the Merg (Medical Evacuation Response Group) to set up an urgent triaging and assessment system. It was essential that this process was to be a robust and as credible as possible. Many of these doctors were involved in the Senate inquiry into the repeal bill. Of the 84 submissions, 82 argued against the repeal. There is a reason the medical profession was united in support of medevac. It fulfilled one of the most basic of medical ethics to provide medical care based on need and without discrimination.

After all, one of our responsibilities as doctors is to advocate for the health and wellbeing not only of our own individual patients, but for groups and communities without discrimination.

I have had messages from doctors around the country who are aware of the state of health of the refugees who have been transferred to Australia, and of many of those who remain in offshore detention who fear what will happen as we return to business as usual.

Secrecy surrounded conditions on Nauru and Manus Island. Secrecy was demanded of health professionals working in the detention camps.

The fact that the Senate was forced to vote on a secret back-room deal a deal which the Coalition denied even existed with no information as to what that deal was and with one person making that deal in isolation from experts and then casting the key vote is a cynical desertion of our democratic principles.

There was no secret that Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton did not want the medevac legislation.

When it was passed, the government waited 14 days to make it officially law.

They then made absolutely no move to set up a process for assessment of cases requiring transfer.

This week the government took only five hours to make the visit to the governor general to end medevac. They also ended any independent medical oversight of medical transfers from offshore detention with the demise of the Ihap (Independent Health Assessment Panel).

So now we go back to politicians and bureaucrats deciding who lives and who dies, who is transferred for crucial medical treatment and when.

Through this process I have seen the best and the worst of political decision-making affecting the provision of healthcare.

Any MP or senator who voted to repeal this legislation will have to live with the consequences of that vote on their conscience forever.

In contrast, we have seen the wonderful refugee advocates, lawyers, and doctors who have selflessly given their time for these medevac transfers to happen, and for those who took to the streets in support of the people who are still held in Papua New Guinea or on Nauru. I thank them for their hard work, their compassion and for fighting against the governments indefensible decision to repeal this legislation.

To those who remain in Papua New Guinea and Nauru, please know this. There are many, many Australians of good heart who understand your plight and will continue to fight on your behalf not only for your medical care, but for a future for you in freedom and safety.

This is not over.

Kerryn Phelps is a medical professional and former independent MP for Wentworth

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To those stuck in offshore detention: we will keep fighting for you. The medevac repeal is not the end - The Guardian

ATHENS (Reuters) - Cyprus has petitioned the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague to safeguard its offshore mineral rights, its president said on Thursday, upping the ante with neighbor Turkey which disputes its claims.

FILE PHOTO: Turkish drilling vessel Yavuz is pictured in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Cyprus, August 6, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo

Cypruss internationally recognized government discovered offshore gas in 2011 but has been at loggerheads with Turkey over maritime zones around the island, where it has granted licenses to multinational companies for oil and gas research.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said Cyprus is committed to protecting its sovereign rights with every legal means possible.

Our recourse to The Hague has that very purpose, he told journalists in Nicosia.

Turkey, which does not have diplomatic relations with Cypruss government, says that some areas Nicosia operates in are either on the Turkish continental shelf, or in areas where the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state has rights over any finds. It has sent its own drill ships to the island.

The ICJ has the power to issue binding decisions on countries which recognize its jurisdiction.

The actual petition Cyprus has filed has not been disclosed and officials in Nicosia declined any immediate further comment.

Anastasiades said Cyprus had attempted to deliver a notice of its intentions to Turkeys embassy in Athens but it was not accepted. So it was sent another way, he said. There is proof that it was received, so that gives (Cyprus) the right to recourse.

Cypruss Sigma TV, which first reported the petition, said the notice was sent by fax.

EU member Cyprus was divided in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup. Turkey supports a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in north Cyprus.

Both Greek and Turkish Cypriots created the Republic of Cyprus in 1960 but the partnership crumbled in acrimony in 1963, leaving Greek Cypriots running the island.

Reporting By Michele Kambas; Editing by David Goodman and Elaine Hardcastle

Read more from the original source:

Cyprus petitions The Hague to safeguard offshore rights - Reuters

Gov. Phil Murphy, who already will be remembered for launching New Jerseys offshore wind energy future, recently more than doubled the states commitment to electricity from turbines in the Atlantic Ocean.

In June, when the state picked rsted U.S. Offshore Wind to develop its first wind farm off Atlantic City, its goal of producing 3,500 megawatts by 2030 was considered ambitious. Five months later, with climate activist Al Gore at his side, Murphy ordered the state to produce 7,500 MW by 2035. That would be enough to power 3.2 million homes.

The original goal was worthy and very timely, and this one is good too. But dont assume that scaling up New Jerseys wind energy will be easy or done well, or even at the reasonable cost of the first 1,100MW rsted will deploy by 2024.

The project off Atlantic City is expected to add just $1.46 a month to residential electric bills. But subsequent wind farms wont qualify for the substantial clean energy investment tax credit that will expire next year. Projects will have to raise prices or lower costs to offset the loss of that break. Also, the more offshore wind farms are built, the more costly upgrades will be needed to onshore transmission lines and substations.

New Jersey could reduce the grid upgrade costs by working with neighboring states to create the regional grid capacity required by the rush of all coastal states into offshore wind energy. The states should also collaborate on getting sufficient support from the fishing and shipping industries affected by wind farms at sea.

New Jersey already seems to have fallen behind in multi-state cooperation on the research and development that will cut costs and speed deployment. New York, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia are partners in an R&D consortium. New Jersey is conspicuously absent.

There may also be a challenge just to build all of the wind farms and turbines that states want. New York already boosted its goal to 9,000 MW. Last year started with an offshore wind commitment of just 5,300 MW for the entire U.S. With Murphys increase to 7,500 MW, that is at least 24,000 MW now (or 24 gigawatts, to put it in billions of watts instead of millions, inevitable given the industrys rapid growth).

The total capacity for federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management areas leased to developers is just over 21,000 MW. More leases will need to be offered and secured by bidding.

The good news is that East Coast states have the potential to generate about five times as much power from ocean wind as they currently have demand for.

Working swiftly to harvest some of that clean energy potential is good policy. Doing it cooperatively with other states to help ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness would be good government.

See original here:

Doubling NJ offshore wind power will require work, cooperation - Press of Atlantic City

Interior Secretary David Bernhardt was condemned Monday for a proposed policy shift on offshore drilling panned as a "sweetheart giveaway" for a former client.

The new extraction-encouraging proposal was announced last month in a report(pdf) by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), two agencies within the Interior Department and occurred, according to transparency group Western Values Project, "under the cloud of impeachment."

Bernhardt's announcement followed longstandingfearsthat the former lobbyist would use his position in the federal government to serve the interests of the fossil fuel lobby above those of the American people and public lands. The recommendations laid out in the report pertain to royalties for offshore leasing and drilling.

"Federal officials," as Louisiana's Houma Todayreported, "are offering oil and gas companies a discount on the fees they pay the government to drill in the Gulf of Mexico's shallow waters."

If enacted, the policy to "ensure maximum resource recovery" would benefit the oil and gas industry National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), on whose behalf Bernhardt previously lobbied, said Western Values Project.

Also noteworthy, said the advocacy group, is that the report was co-authored by BSEE Director Scott Angelle, who also has ties to the fossil fuel industry. Western Values Project said that, during the government shutdown, Angelle who has NOIA's stamp of approval for his current position green-lit 53 permits for offshore drilling for companies that sit on the board of directors for NOIA.

"Since day one, Secretary Bernhardt has operated as though Interior was his own personal lobby shop by doling out favors for his former clients with impunity. This offshore royalty rate reduction deal is short selling our shared resources and ripping off taxpayers," said Jayson O'Neill, deputy director of Western Values Project.

"With Trump's own corruption dominating headlines," he continued, "Bernhardt probably thought this sweetheart giveaway to his former oil and gas client would slip by unnoticed."

Oil giants like Chevron and Shell are already taking advantage of a loophole in federal law to avoid paying at least $18 billion in royalties on oil and gas drilled in the Gulf since 1996, the New York Times reported in October, citing a report from the Government Accountability Office.

The possible policy shift sparked environmental worries from New Orleans-based advocacy group Healthy Gulf, whichcalled the proposal "a recipe for disaster" in a tweet last month.

"This administration wants to lease areas of the Gulf for 'high-risk, small-upside opportunities' to smaller oil companies who don't have the resources to handle spills," the group said. "This proposal is as illogical as it is dangerous."

Continue reading here:

Trump quietly provides offshore drilling industry sweetheart giveaway - Salon

Raffinerie Heide's oil refinery in northern Germany is part of a pilot project with Orsted to produce green hydrogen.

Photographer:Raffinerie Heide

Photographer:Raffinerie Heide

One of the worlds biggest developers of offshore wind farms thinks its massive turbines could be key to the production of hydrogen in a greener way and ultimately, stemming climate change.

Over the past decade, offshore wind has pushed from a frontier technology to amulti-billion-dollar industry that provides green power cheap enough to compete with fossil fuels.Orsted A/S, a Danish company, anticipates that the scale and efficiency of wind farms at sea can play a crucialrole to supply heavy industry with green hydrogen.

Hydrogen is important because its one of the few fuels that can burn hot enough to make steel and cement, two of the most polluting industries. At the moment, most hydrogen is derived from natural gas and causes greenhouse gas emissions. Getting the element from electrolysis driven by wind farms would make it a zero-emissions fuel, since no carbon dioxide comes with hydrogen in the combustion process.As long as these heavy industries rely on polluting fossil fuels, it may be impossible to achieve the goals in the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

You cannot do it without hydrogen, Anders Nordstrom, head of hydrogen at Orsted, said in an interview. Everything that can be electrified, you should electrify, but that leaves a substantial part of de-carbonization where hydrogen is the second-best option because electricity isnt feasible.

Orsted's Walney offshore wind farm off the coast of the U.K.

Photographer: Orsted/Orsted

Manufacturing is responsible for about 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions because it relies on high-temperature furnaces that mostly run on fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Some processes like cement require chemical reactions that throw off CO2 in addition to the emissions from burning fuels.

Hydrogen can be used as an alternative fuel in many of those processes. The issue is getting the gas without making more CO2.

Machines known as electrolyzerscan create the hydrogen by splitting it out of water molecules. And when it burns, hydrogen leaves only water vapor behind. If the whole process is powered by a wind farm, no emissions are involved.

To Orsted, it makes sense to pair offshore wind farms with hydrogen electrolyzers. Wind turbines are bigger and run more often when theyre sited at sea instead of on land -- often enough that they sometimes spin when the grid cant absorb more power.

Hydrogen factories could take that power and turn it into a gas. That would deliver another benefit in that they can store that energy for use later -- something thats more difficult when the energy comes in the form of electricity.

Industry accounts for a fifth of the world's annual CO2 emissions

EPA 2016

As the industry pushes to rapidly expand offshore wind in Europe, electrolysis may also help balance the variable generation rates of wind farms. When the wind doesnt blow that strongly, electrolyzerscould be turned down. When the wind picks up, the hydrogen production could be scaled up.

Since 2018, Nordstrom has run a small team of people at the Danish energy company thats focused on hydrogen. During 2019, the company unveiled a pair of pilot projects in the U.K. and Germany. A failed bid for an offshore wind farm off the coast of the Netherlands also included plans to incorporate green hydrogen. Orsted is continuing to develop hydrogen projects in the country and has a pipeline of other projects around northwest Europe, Nordstrom said.

The major challenge is cost. Green hydrogen costs between $2.50 and $6.80 a kilogram to make, due to the relatively high costs of renewable-powered electrolysis, according BloombergNEF. That would need to fall below $2 in order to make renewable hydrogen competitive with coal, and to around 60 cents to beat the cheapest natural gas-based production, according to BNEF.

That cost could come down to be competitive with fossil fuel by 2030, according to Nordstrom. A number of factors would need to fall into place to achieve that, such as increased scale of electrolysis projects, cheaper and more efficient electrolyzersand a higher carbon price, he said.

The executive sees a parallel between hydrogen and offshore wind in terms of their level of development. Just a few years ago, offshore wind was more expensive than nuclear power. Now it rivals coal on cost in some places.

We are where offshore wind was 10 years ago, Nordstrom said. Its the same cost journey we need to take.

Green hydrogen will also have to contend with competition from natural gas, which can be used to make hydrogen as well. That method produces carbon dioxide in the process.

By 2025, Orsted will move beyond studies and have electrolyzerprojects up and running, including a 30-megawatt project its part of in Germany, Nordstrom said. Beyond then, scale and potential is hard to forecast.

Its quite difficult to predict where well be in 10 years, Nordstrom said. Theres an exponentialfeelto whats happening at the moment.

Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal.

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A $39 Billion Wind Company Bets Hydrogen Is Key to Climate Goals - Bloomberg

World Sailing has sent a shout out to its member countries to take part in the 2020 Offshore World Championships, to be held in association with the Middle Sea Race in October 2020. The prospect of the new Olympic class has already developed a pool of Irish interest.

Most sailing developed nations will regard this event as the opening of their 2024 Olympic Offshore campaigns. The event will be a mixed two-handed offshore race, of approximately 4 days/3 nights duration. (same as that proposed for the 2024 Olympic Games)

Entering nations will have to qualify for the limited fleet event. 20 L30 yachts will be supplied to competitors, but the organisers have not yet determined the event(s) that will qualify for the championships.

Ireland has a burgeoning interest in this offshore scene with forays on the international offshore circuit already carried out by a crop of talent such as David Kenefick, Tom Dolan and Joan Mulloy in Le Figaro Race. More recently, in June 2019, there were2024 declarations made by Conor Fogerty and Susan Glenny.

World Sailing is awaiting to determine the interest level before finalising the qualification events, but they have determined the principles on which they will be based. They say:

The intention is to hold all Qualification Events in Europe for 2020. By hosting the 2020 Qualification Events in one European venue and with one fleet of boats World Sailing believes that sailors and MNAs will have a unique opportunity to fast track their knowledge of this exciting new event.

World Sailing believe that it will be possible to develop Qualification Events for the Offshore World Championships in all continents from 2021 onwards.

Countries can express their interest by submitting the pre-entry fee of 2,500 to World Sailing no later than 20 December 2019.

More here:

2020 Offshore World Championships Will Be Start of 2024 Olympic Campaigns - Afloat

This fall, Dominion surprised industry experts when it announced plans to build a massive wind farm off Virginias coast.

The company has no experience with offshore wind, and critics say customers could be stuck with big bills if the company is not required to compete for the right to build.

Dominion says its determined to cut carbon emissions 55% in the next decade. That means burning less gas and coal while boosting production of clean power.

Energy blogger Ivy Main says thats why the company has now decided to tap this states considerable potential for wind power.

They are planning to build out the entire Virginia wind energy area 27 miles off of Virginia Beach.

Dominions first estimate of cost is $7.8 billion, but thats based on using resources from Europe according to spokesman Jeremy Slayton.

That would include things like manufacturing of the turbines, because right now the turbines themselves are manufactured in Europe and then have to be transported by boat over to the United States.

The company says costs will come down as the United States gears up to supply a new industry off American shores. And state government is likely to provide support.

The economic development and the job prospects are terrific for Virginia, says Main.

But theres something else that could keep costs down competitive bidding. At the University of Virginia, Professor Bill Shobe studies the economics of energy. He says about a hundred countries have already shown how powerful that approach can be.

They set a renewables target, and then they announced they were going to hold an auction, and what interested firms would do is bid a price for an amount of renewable power that they would agree to provide, and the results of those auctions have been astonishing, he explains.

Using this model for production of solar power helped lower costs by 62% over a four-year period, and Main says costs to produce offshore wind power dropped 32% in a single year. Shobe says its the only way consumers will know theyre getting the best price, and it might not keep Dominion from building the wind farm.

If Dominion wants to bid to build the turbines themselves, by all means. If they are really the low cost provider, then theyll win the bids.

If Dominion moves forward, Main hopes it will partner with another, more experienced firm. Its already working with the worlds largest wind energy supplier a Danish company called Orsted on a demonstration project involving two turbines, but the big wind farm would involve 220 of them.

"I had been given a heads up early that they had not consulted with Orsted before they made the announcement that they were going forward with the big farm," she recalls. "Then another developer told me that he had checked with them as to whether they might want another partner, and theyd said no that they were going to do it themselves, and then Dominion held its quarterly earnings call and confirmed there that it planned to develop, own and operate the wind farm by itself.

Since she published her concerns, Dominion has said its undecided on the issue of whether to fly solo.

We are evaluating how best to proceed with our commercial offshore wind project," says Dominion spokesman Slayton. "No specific decisions have been made regarding partners or suppliers or those sorts of things.

The company says the wind farm will come online in three stages in 2024, 25 and 26. Noting many other states plan wind farms in that same time frame, Main says federal regulators could be overwhelmed unable to grant permits quickly enough to keep Dominion on schedule.

Go here to read the rest:

Why Dominion's Approach to Offshore Wind May Prove Costly to Consumers - WVTF

Natural gas will begin flowing from Leviathan, Israels largest offshore natural gas field, within two weeks, with exports to Egypt and Jordan following shortly thereafter, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said Monday.

Binyamin Zomer, vice president for regional affairs at Texas-based Noble Energy, the lead partner in Leviathan, confirmed the news. Before the end of the year we will start supplying the domestic market, and in the weeks right after that we will export to Egypt and Jordan, he told the annual Israel Energy and Business Convention in Ramat Gan.

The Leviathan partners have signed multibillion-dollar export deals to Egypt and Jordan. Steinitz told the conference that despite opposition from environmentalists, there was no reason Israel shouldnt also be exporting gas to Europe.

Zomer said that because of Leviathans lifespan, all export options were under consideration, including delivery by undersea pipeline to Europe. As to concerns about air pollution from Leviathans rig, he said that it met the strictest standards and that gas would mean a net gain for the environment.

Im sure the public understands that the biggest impact of the Leviathan rig will be when you can close the coal stations in Hadera, he said, referring to generating plants of the Israel Electric Corporation.

Zomer said that with the development of the smaller Karish and Tanin gas fields by the Green energy company Energean, competition was ramping up in the industry. No one knows at what range prices will settle, he said. Its a function of supply and demand and were already seeing new prices.

The IEC is buying gas from the Tamar field at $6.30 per million British thermal units, but it has signed an agreement to buy from Leviathan at $4.80. Karish and Tanin have been signing deals at between $3.50 and $4.00

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Natural gas of Israel's largest offshore field to start flowing within two weeks - Haaretz

The HMRC does not have the staff to investigate all the offshore tip-offs it gets, after being swamped with a staggering 5.7 million pieces of information about overseas bank accounts held by three million British citizens.

The information is coming from 100 countries under common reporting standards (CRS) agreed by the international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The standards are designed to stop tax evasion, or avoidance, by making governments aware of overseas money held by their citizens.

However, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) does not have enough people to follow up on the information, according to the tax consultancy BDO, so is instead sending out a series of "nudge" letters to the people named asking them to send details of their financial affairs in an attempt to uncover incidents of tax evasion, The Times first reported.

HMRC has come under pressure to more actively investigate taxpayers with hidden offshore assets since the 2016 Panama Papers scandal. There is currently an open parliamentary inquiry into whether HMRC is sufficiently able to tackle tax evasion and avoidance.

The UK tax office made 540 requests to overseas authorities for information on UK taxpayers last year, an increase of 24% on the previous year, as it intensifies its crackdown on hidden offshore assets, says Pinsent Masons, the international law firm.

Pinsent Masons says that HMRC is increasing its investigations overseas into taxpayers it believes are hiding assets. Investigations can lead to penalties of up to 200% of the tax HMRC believes is owed.

UK investors in offshore funds are coming under increasing scrutiny by the tax authorities. HMRC believes there is a significant group of UK investors misreporting their income and gains from investments in offshore funds, and, as a consequence, their overall UK tax liability.

HMRC have begun to send out compliance letters to tenants of residential property that they believe is owned by an overseas company or trust (called a non-resident corporate landlord). The purpose of the letter is to enable HMRC to gather information to make sure that the landlord is paying the correct amount of tax.

HMRC's approach to hidden offshore assets is laid out in its No Safe Havens' strategy, which was launched in March this year. In this strategy document, HMRC says it will use criminal investigations to send a strong deterrent message to taxpayers.

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HMRC lacks staff to investigate over 5.7 million offshore tip-offs - International Investment

Energy Ministers from North Seas countries have agreed to their 2020 Work Programme on offshore wind deployment as a means of reaching climate neutrality by 2050. The 10 North Seas Energy Cooperation countries Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK have agreed at their Ministerial meeting in Esbjerg in June 2019 to broaden the scope of their cooperation. Their 2020 Work Programme now elaborates what they intend to do together on maritime spatial planning, electricity grids and developing hybrid and joint offshore wind farms.

The 10 countries have committed to assessing the current framework for offshore wind farms that have a grid connection to more than one country and identifying possible obstacles. Such hybrid projects will be key in pooling assets and infrastructure together and reduce the costs of deploying offshore wind.

The countries have also recognised that space in the North Seas is finite and will collaborate on maritime spatial planning to be able to utilise the energy potential of the North Seas. The countries will better coordinate the planning and development offshore (and onshore) electricity grid expansion in order to facilitate the expansion of offshore wind. And will develop concrete plans for potential joint cross-border offshore wind farms that generate benefits for all participating parties.

Offshore wind will be vital for Europe to deliver on its decarbonisation goals. The European Commission has stated that 230-450 of offshore wind will be necessary to deliver climate neutrality by 2050. Anew report by WindEuropeshowed that 450 GW of offshore wind in Europe (380 GW of which in the North Seas) is both achievable and affordable provided countries collaborate with one another in their investments in electricity grids and take the right approach to maritime spatial planning.

WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson said that up to 380 GW of offshore wind is doable in the North Seas by 2050 if countries collaborate effectively on maritime spatial planning, grid investments and hybrid offshore projects.

The North Seas countries realise that and are taking concrete steps to make these big volumes happen. Its great to see this reinforced commitment from Governments on offshore wind and to see them widening and deepening the scope of their work together. This is Europe at its best. And a great example for other regions, in particular, the Baltic to follow, he said.

Read more from the original source:

North Seas Nations to Reinforce Cooperation on Offshore Wind - Saurenergy

2. Shuba (Russia)

While most countries celebrate Christmas on December 25th, Russia is one of the few countries that celebrates this holiday on January 7th in accordance with the Orthodox Julian calendar.

Colloquially known as "herring under a fur coat," shuba is a popular dish served during the holiday season in Russia. Its main ingredients include pickled herring, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, and grated vegetables like carrots, beets, potatoes, and onions.

The dish gets its name from its top layer, which is usually made of mayonnaise or a beet dressing that resembles a warm winter coat.

While this may seem like an unconventional dish, it's an excellent source of protein, potassium, antioxidants, and vitamins A and B.

3. Yebeg Wot (Ethiopia)

Similarly to Ethiopia's national dish, doro wat (chicken stew), yebeg wot is a popular lamb stew served during the holiday season.

Weeks prior to the holidays, farmers feed lambs a high calorie diet. This leads to fatty, tender meat, which is added to a stew made of onions, tomatoes, garlic, kibbeh (Ethiopian butter), berbere spice mix, and various spices.

Many serve yebeg wot with injera, a popular flatbread.

This dish is a rich source of protein, carbs, and antioxidants.

4. Spiced Hot Chocolate (Peru)

If you think you know how to make the best hot chocolate, you may want to give Peru's spiced hot chocolate a try.

This creamy hot chocolate with a kick is made with chocolate, condensed or evaporated milk, and a combination of spices, such as cinnamon, chili powder, cloves, and nutmeg.

In fact, this beverage is so popular that it has its own event known as la Chocolatadas, during which people gather and serve spiced hot chocolate with a popular cake known as panetn.

5. Mince Pie (England)

Also known as mincemeat or Christmas pie, mince pie is a widely popular and historical holiday dessert.

Despite its name, most modern mincemeat pies are meatless. Traditionally, mince pies were made of shredded beef or mutton, suet, dried fruit, and spices.

However, most varieties today simply consist of pastry dough, dried apples and raisins, distilled spirits, vegetable shortening, and a spice mixture containing nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.

Interestingly, the pies used to be oblongly shaped to represent a manger, although most mince pies served today are circular.

6. Bibingka (Philippines)

During the holiday season, bibingka is a common breakfast item in the Philippines.

Bibingka consists of rice flour or sticky rice, coconut milk, sugar, and water wrapped and cooked in banana leaves. Eggs, cheese, and coconut flakes are sometimes added as a garnish.

This dish is usually served for breakfast or after Simbng Gabi a nine-day series of Filipino Catholic masses leading up to Christmas.

In fact, it's common to have food stations set up outside of church for churchgoers to buy bibingka and other popular sweets, such as steamed rice cakes known as puto bumbong. Many enjoy these treats with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

7. Butter Tarts (Canada)

While a typical Canadian diet is similar to that of a typical U.S. diet, it has a few classic treats of its own.

Butter tarts are a Canadian dessert that's served during many holidays, but mostly during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

They're small pastries with a sweet filling made of butter, sugar, maple or corn syrup, eggs, and sometimes walnuts and raisins. Enjoy these tarts with a cup of coffee for the ultimate treat.

8. Latkes (Israel)

During Hanukkah, latkes are a delicious staple on most dinner plates. In Hebrew, the dish is known as levivot.

Fried in hot oil, latkes are symbolic of the oil that, according to a text that serves as the central source of Jewish religious law, lit the menorah for 8 days despite only having enough oil for 1 day.

Made of the simplest of ingredients, you can make latkes with shredded potato and onion, eggs, and breadcrumbs or matzo. Deep fry it in hot oil, and you have yourself some delicious latkes.

Other popular Hanukkah treats include sufganiyot (jelly donuts), challah (braided bread), and beef brisket.

9. Hangikjt (Iceland)

Served during Christmas, hangikjt is one of the most popular Icelandic holiday foods.

It translates to "hung meat" and involves smoked lamb or mutton. Its name originates from the traditional practice of hanging smoked meats in a smoking shed for weeks to develop a smoky, salty flavor.

Hangikjt is commonly served with green beans, potatoes that are coated in a white bchamel sauce, and side of pickled red cabbage.

10. Bahn Chung (Vietnam)

Bahn chung is a beloved rice cake enjoyed during Tt (Vietnamese New Year).

This dish is made using sticky rice, pork, mung beans, green onions, fish sauce, and spices like salt and pepper.

In addition to its great flavor, it's placed in front of family altars to pay tribute to ancestors and prayers for the upcoming year.

11. Pasteles (Puerto Rico)

Pasteles are a classic Christmas dish in Puerto Rico.

Making pasteles requires time and patience. The inner portion of the pasteles consists of a mixture of ground pork and an adobo blended spice sauce. The outer portion is made using a special masa dough made of grated green bananas, yauta, and spices.

After allowing the dough to sit for a few hours, the masa is placed on banana leaves, the pork filling is added, and it's wrapped.

Traditional Puertorican pasteles are boiled in hot water and served with rice, meat, fish, pigeon peas, and hot sauce for a delicious holiday feast.

12. Eggnog (United States)

Eggnog isn't a holiday treat around the world. In fact, it's mostly enjoyed in the United States and Canada.

This drink is made from milk, cream, whipped egg whites, egg yolks, and sugar, resulting in a creamy, smooth texture.

Most people enjoy eggnog as an alcoholic beverage by adding rum, bourbon, or brandy.

13. Kutia (Ukraine)

Kutia is a traditional Christmas Eve dish that is popular among members of the Ukranian Orthodox Church. As part of the Julian calendar, Christmas Eve falls on January 6th.

It's usually the first dish served as part of Sviata Vecheria a 12-dish vegetarian feast to commemorate the 12 apostles.

Made from cooked wheat berries, poppy seeds, dried fruit, and honey, this dish is packed with nutrition, which is an important focus of this Ukranian feast. In fact, this dish is so important to the meal that all guests are expected to have at least one spoonful.

However, it's customary to wait until the first star in the sky appears before digging in.

14. Janssons Frestelse (Sweden)

Also known as Jansson's Temptation, this casserole dish is made from potatoes, onions, heavy cream, breadcrumbs, and sprats a small, oily fish similar to sardines.

It's usually accompanied by a smorgasbord of food known as the "julbord," which translates to "Yule table" or "Christmas table." It's enjoyed with foods like baked ham, meatballs, fish, boiled potatoes, cheeses, and various cooked vegetables.

The origin of its name is controversial, though many believe it originated from a popular opera singer known as Pelle Janzon.

15. Christmas Cake (Global)

Christmas cake is a popular dessert around the world.

It's a type of fruit cake made of flour, eggs, sugar, spices, candied cherries, dried fruit, and brandy. Traditional Christmas cake is made at least 2 months ahead to allow adequate time to slowly "feed" the cake with brandy every 2 weeks. Finally, it's topped with a marzipan icing.

While it's mostly known as a British dessert, many countries serve Christmas cake during the holiday season. In fact, South Koreans are well-known for their beautiful, artistic Christmas cake decorations.

The Bottom Line

Many cultures celebrate the holiday season for different reasons. Whether it's Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year, food plays a central role in celebrations around the world.

From savory main dishes to sweet desserts, each culture brings a unique twist to this jolly season.

With the holidays just around the corner, remember to enjoy all the delicious food and memories they will bring.

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With Nation Transfixed by Impeachment, Trump Admin Quietly Serves Offshore Drilling Companies a 'Sweetheart Giveaway' - EcoWatch

NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --TheMesothelioma Compensation Centersays, "We are appealing to an offshore oil rig worker who have recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma to call us anytime at 800-714-0303 for on the spot access to attorney Erik Karst of the law firm of Karst von Oiste. Erik Karst and his colleagues at Karst von Oiste are responsible for over a billion dollars in financial compensation results for people with mesothelioma or asbestos exposure illnesses-and they will know exactly how to help an oil rig or oil field worker with mesothelioma-especially if the person's exposure to asbestos took place in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska or offshore oil rigs off the coast of California.

"We also want to emphasize attorney Erik Karst of the law firm of Karst von Oiste and his lawyers will go anywhere the United States for a face to face meeting with the person with mesothelioma-in the home of the person with this rare cancer. This face to face meeting will allow the lawyers to understand how the person was exposed to asbestos, and to develop a plan to get this person the best financial compensation settlement results. We have endorsed the law firm of Karst von Oiste for oil/gas exploration and development workers nationwide-because they get superior compensation results for their clients as we would be happy to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303."www.karstvonoiste.com/

TheMesothelioma Compensation Centeris an advocate for power and energy workers with mesothelioma and the appealing to people like this to avoid the following types of Internet ads:

According to the CDC, the states indicated with the highest incidence of mesothelioma include Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, Washington, and Oregon. However, an oil field or offshore oil rig worker with mesothelioma could live in any state including California, New York, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, or Alaska. http://MesotheliomaCompensationCenter.Com

The Mesothelioma Compensation Center specializes in assisting high-risk workers who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. High-risk groups for exposure to asbestos include the US Navy Veterans, power plant workers, shipyard workers, oil refinery workers, public utility workers, chemical plant workers, nuclear power plant workers, oil and gas field production workers, hydro-electric workers, plumbers, electricians, welders, millwrights, pipefitters or machinists. In most instances people with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos in the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, or 1980's.www.karstvonoiste.com/

For more information about mesothelioma, please refer to the National Institutes of Health's web site related to this rare form of cancer:https://www.cancer.gov/types/mesothelioma

Media Contact:

Michael Thomas800-714-0303226297@email4pr.com

SOURCE Mesothelioma Compensation Center

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Mesothelioma Compensation Center Appeals to An Offshore Oil Rig Worker with Mesothelioma Nationwide to Call for Direct Access to Attorney Erik Karst...

Michael MacDonald, THE CANADIAN PRESS Published Tuesday, November 12, 2019 12:27PM AST Last Updated Tuesday, November 12, 2019 3:31PM AST

HALIFAX -- The delivery date for the navy's first Arctic and offshore patrol ship has again been pushed back.

Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax was originally scheduled to deliver the ship in 2018, but in August that deadline was pushed to the end of 2019.

On Tuesday, Irving Shipbuilding released a statement saying the new ship, HMCS Harry DeWolf, is expected to be delivered during the first three months of 2020 -- nearly five years after construction first started.

The company says it had always intended to "revisit" the delivery deadline, given the fact it is building a newly designed ship with a new supply chain, a new shipyard and a new and growing workforce.

Irving spokesman Sean Lewis said the ship will be the largest naval vessel built in Canada in more than 50 years.

"We are now just weeks away from taking the future HMCS Harry DeWolf to sea for the first time, followed by formal sea trials and acceptance by our customer," Lewis said in a statement. "This will span into the first quarter of 2020."

Four of the Harry DeWolf-class of vessels, which will be capable of breaking through light ice and armed with a small cannon, are currently under construction in Halifax.

The Arctic patrol vessels are the first vessels to be built by Irving since it was selected as one of two shipyards under the federal government's multibillion-dollar national shipbuilding strategy.

Under the original plan, Irving was to build between six and eight Arctic patrol vessels at a total cost of around $3.1 billion, as well as the navy's new fleet of 15 warships for $24 billion, once those smaller ships were finished.

However, numerous delays and cost overruns saw the number of Arctic patrol vessels cut to five, even as the budget was increased to $3.5 billion. The 15 warships are now projected to cost $60 billion.

In November 2018, Ottawa announced it would pay $800 million for a sixth Arctic vessel as well as to slow production at Irving to prevent layoffs between the end of work on the last Arctic ship and the start of warship work.

Then in May, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to spend an additional $15.7 billion on 18 new ships for Canadian Coast Guard, including two additional Arctic patrol vessels from Irving.

The other 16 ships are being built by Seaspan Shipbuilding in Vancouver, which was selected in 2011 as the second yard under the national shipbuilding plan.

Seaspan is also building four science vessels for the coast guard and two naval support ships.

-- With files from Lee Berthiaume

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2019.

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Delivery of the navy's first Arctic and offshore patrol ship delayed until 2020 - CTV News

The two main choices are to build a backbone offshore-wind transmission system or to allow developers to build transmission lines directly to on-shore facilities.

The state yesterday began soliciting input on how to deliver power from offshore wind farms off the Jersey coast to customers, a dilemma that will get more complicated as the sector grows more critical to meeting New Jerseys energy needs.

For the short term, offshore wind developers will likely have relatively few problems hooking up with the electric grid, at least to achieve the Murphy administrations goals of developing 3,500 megawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030, according to offshore wind developers at a meeting held at the War Memorial in Trenton on Tuesday.

Long term is another issue altogether, especially if the state opts to adopt a consultants projection that the state will need to nearly triple that goal and build up to 11,000 MW of offshore wind capacity by mid-century to achieve its target of 100% clean energy by then.

If so, developers, consultants, and an executive from PJM Interconnection, the regional power grid, urged the state to begin assessing long-term projections of its own, and even of other states energy demands and profiles.

You need to start thinking about what is the ultimate build-out, said Suzanne Glass, director of infrastructure planning for the PJM, the nations largest power grid, stretching from the Eastern Seaboard to Illinois.

The meeting, held by the state Board of Public Utilities, yielded no clear consensus on whether a regional so-called backbone offshore-wind transmission system would be more cost-effective than allowing developers to build transmission lines directly to on-shore facilities.

The same debate is raging in Europe, where offshore wind farms are much more prevalent and established. rsted, which has won approval to build a 1,100 MW wind farm 15 miles off Atlantic City, has typically insisted it is better to allow the developer to also build the transmission line.

The synergies of doing offshore wind and transmission together are huge, said Utrik Stridboek, a vice president of regulatory affairs in rsted. The key is I dont think you want to create impediments to those synergies.

Yet, with the tremendous growth in offshore wind in Europe, he argued that a regional backbone system is probably inevitable there, and possibly even in the U.S., depending on the growth of the sector and the value it brings to investors.

After the meeting, rsted issued a statement, saying, There may be benefits to a planned transmission system for offshore wind but there are also significant risks.

In New Jersey, the BPU has approved an underwater transmission line from rsteds proposed wind farm to the closed Oyster Creek nuclear plant to bring ashore its power to customers. A big issue for the offshore wind developers is finding suitable places to bring power on shore to customers, with most saying such options are limited.

Just getting one cable landing to shore is very challenging, noted Kirsty Townsend of rsted.

If the state chooses to expand its goal of offshore wind capacity to 11,000 MW, there are not nearly enough interconnections onshore to accommodate that much capacity, agreed Janice Fuller, president of NJ Ocean Grid, a subsidiary of Anbaric Development Partners, LLC.

Anbaric asked the federal government to gauge interest in building such a transmission line earlier this year, in this instance, a 185-mile submarine line mostly off the Jersey coast.

Doug Copeland, development manager for Atlantic Shores, an offshore-wind farm project being pursued by EDF Renewables and Shell Energy off the Jersey coast, predicted that developers will be able to solve the technical issues relating to transmission, but offered the political issues may be more daunting.

The BPU is aiming to select the least-cost option to building an offshore-wind transmission system. Yesterdays hearing was the first of several it expects to hold with stakeholders to determine how to bring ashore the power from the wind farms.

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No Consensus on How to Bring Offshore Wind Power Ashore in NJ - NJ Spotlight

Technological improvements and falling costs are driving a boom in offshore wind power projects worldwide. Still, the industry faces its own peculiar share of challenges

This is the first partof athree-part series:

Technology has come a long way since windmills were used centuries ago to mill grain or pump water. Modern wind turbines are highly evolved versions and the utility-scale ones are over 100 metres tall and can power thousands of homes.

A wind farm is an area with a high density of turbines for electricity generation their history goes back over a century, when engineers saw that a cluster of turbines on land could improve the electricity generation profile. The nomenclature has changed and these farms are now called onshore wind farms the reason for this is the relatively new and fascinating story of offshore wind farms.

The basics are the same: Harnessing the energy of wind, but by building wind farms in oceans where speeds are higher and land is not a concern. The electricity produced by offshore wind turbines travels back to land through a series of cable systems that lay on the seabed.

The United Kingdom has led the charge on offshore wind installations and is currently the country with most installations by a mile. Renewable energy sources generated more electricity in the UK than fossil fuel power plants for the first, straight three-month period since record-keeping began more than 100 years ago, according to an analysis published by UK-based website Carbon Brief on October 14, 2019.

Wind farms, solar panels, biomass and hydroelectric power projects generated an estimated 29.5 terawatt hours (TWhs) of electricity in the third quarter, between July and September of 2019, marginally exceeding the 29.1 TWhs produced by plants that run on fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil.

In 2003, the 60 megawatt (MW) North Hoyle, the first offshore wind farm in the UK, became operational at a depth of less than 10 m and at a distance of 7.5 km from the shore. It was the most powerful farm at that time and could power 50,000 homes annualy.

In contrast, the 588 MW Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm, located near a former oil field in the Moray Firth, north of Scotland, and inaugurated by Prince Charles on July 29, 2019 was at a depth of 45 m and at a distance of 13 km from the coast. The 84-turbine Beatrice has the capacity to power up to 0.45 million homes.

Offshore wind energy has been identified as one of 10 industries where the UK has the potential to be a market leader and features heavily in its plans of being a net-zero emissions country by 2050. The country hopes to produce 30 gigawatt (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2030, a massive transition where 33 per cent of the UKs electricity would come from offshore wind farms up from 8 per cent in 2018.

It would be generating thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK, a strong supply chain and a fivefold increase in exports. This is our modern industrial strategy in action, Claire Perry, UKs Energy & Clean Growth minister said in a statement on March 2, 2019, when the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy officially launched its Offshore Wind Sector Deal.

This acceleration could not have been more unpredictable going by the lull in the initial years. The uptake of offshore wind energy was slow after 1991, when Denmark built Vindeby, the first offshore wind farm in the world with 11 small 450-kilowatt (kW) turbines in the shallow waters around Lolland the countrys fourth-largest island. The electricity industry considered the development to be too small at that time.

According to an article published in the New Scientist on October 20, 1990, special winches were used for construction as large cranes could not be used at sea. A system to control the turbines from land had to be set up using optical fibre cable incorporated into the seabed power cable taking energy from the turbines to the shore.

New turbines were prepared with three 16 m blades made from polyester reinforced with glass fibre, mounted on a 35 m tubular steel tower. The concrete foundations were built in a dry dock carved out of the shoreline of the island, which was then flooded to float the finished foundations to sea using a large catamaran, where they were lowered onto prepared bases, filled with gravel and surrounded by large boulders.

Offshore wind was born mainly due to the lack of space for the development of large onshore wind projects in the densely populated areas of Western Europe. The European countries led the offshore wind industry as they were the first to envision oceans as a clean energy resource and were aided by a facilitating policy environment that saw the need for clean energy much before others.

The import of offshore wind energy was realised in 2000 when the first large-scale offshore farm, Middelgrunden, 3.5 km off Copenhagen, was built with 20 Bonus 2 MW turbines and a capacity of 40 MW. Now, Denmarks biggest offshore wind farm, Thor, with a capacity of at least 800 MW, is set to be installed in the North Sea. Thor will supply power to 0.8 million households and create more than 8,000 jobs in the layout process.

The United States was a late entrant into the offshore wind energy field. It was in December 2016 that the country got its first operating offshore wind farm, the Block Island Wind Farm, off Rhode Island. The farm had a capacity of just 30 MW but it did show that the US was finally entering the offshore wind game.

The large coastline in the US offers the country significant potential estimated at over 2,000 GW. In December 2016, the US introduced the National Offshore Wind Strategy to develop the industry. The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BoEM), the federal agency responsible for offshore resources, has already granted over 15 leases for offshore wind development.

BoEM claims that the leased offshore blocks could support over 21 GW of energy. Nine mega projects signed in New York, New Jersey and states like Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with a cumulative capacity of over 4.8 GW are expected to be commissioned in the coming years. This alone could power oversix million homes along the US coast. The effort is to spur an estimated $70 billion offshore wind industry in the US over the next decade.

Ironically, there is a political backlash for this job churning sector when the US is focused on creating more jobs. President Donald Trump has not been as supportive of wind power. Trump has made hundreds of comments on Twitter and in public opposing the expansion of wind power. They say the noise causes cancer, Trump told a crowd of supporters last spring, soliciting an immediate and strong rebuttal from the American Cancer Society.

The roadblock for the industry came in August this year when the US Interior Department extended the environmental review for the $2.8 billion Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts. The 800 MW project is the first of several massive wind farms planned off the East Coast. The review came in response to concerns from fisherfolk about the impact of offshore wind development on fisheries.

The question facing the industry is whether the review represents a genuine attempt to understand the environmental impacts associated with offshore wind or an effort to kill it, said Anthony Logan, an analyst who tracks the industry at Wood Mackenzie, a consulting firm, E&E News reported. Despite all that, analysts predict that the US will swiftly catch up.

I get that its a renewable energy project, and I get that people are excited about it, says Drew Minkiewicz, an attorney with the Fisheries Survival Fund, which has battled Equinors Empire Wind project, but would you allow a nuclear reactor or a coal plant to write its own environmental impact statement? says a Bloomberg report quoting Minkiewicz on October 1.

The dampening news from the US apart, global interest remains bullish. Even Asian countries have jumped on to the bandwagon. India, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam are emerging as the new areas for offshore energy growth. Taiwan is considered as an ideal destination.

Global developers are making a beeline to the country which has strong winds and a shallow coastline which make it perfect for offshore wind farms. The country introduced the Offshore Demonstration Incentive Program (DIP) in 2012 and foundation installations for a demonstration project Formosa I, with two turbines of 4 MW each off the coast of Miaoli Countybegan in 2014. The country has plans to provide 5.5 GW by 2030 through projects such as Changhua 1 and 2a.

In 2018, China had already surpassed European countries in annual installations with 1.8 GW. China is aiming to install 10 GW of offshore wind energy by 2020. Similarly, Japan, South Korea and India have a target of installing 10 GW, 12 GW and 30 GW respectively by 2030. The Asian markets are predicted to add 100 GW in offshore wind by 2030, says Alok Kumar, country manager India, Advisory at DNV GLEnergy, a technology giant that is advising and assisting India with its first offshore wind farm.

Watch this space forthe second part.

This was firstpublished in Down To Earth print edition (dated 1-15 November, 2019)

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Powerful winds of change: Offshore wind power has taken off but challenges persist - Down To Earth Magazine

HOUSTON, Nov. 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) (W&T or the Company) today announced that the Company will be participating in two upcoming investor conferences.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tracy W. Krohn will present at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2019 Global Energy Conference in Miami, Florida on Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time and will also host one-on-one meetings. The presentation will be webcast live and archived on W&Ts website, http://www.wtoffshore.com, on the Overview page in the Investor Relations section of the site. An updated investor slide deck prepared in conjunction with the Conference will be posted on the website under Presentations on November 14, prior to the presentation.

The Companys senior management will be meeting with investors at the Capital One Securities 14th Annual Energy Conference in Houston, Texas on Thursday, December 12, 2019. W&T will not be making a formal presentation. An investor deck prepared in conjunction with the Conference will be posted in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website on Thursday morning, December 12, under Presentations.

About W&T Offshore

W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and has grown through acquisitions, exploration and development. The Company currently has working interests in 53 producing fields in federal and state waters and has under lease approximately 826,000 gross acres, including approximately 605,000 gross acres on the Gulf of Mexico Shelf and approximately 221,000 gross acres in the deepwater. A majority of the Companys daily production is derived from wells it operates. For more information on W&T, please visit the Companys website at http://www.wtoffshore.com.

News by QuoteMediawww.quotemedia.com

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W&T Offshore to Participate in Upcoming Investor Conferences - EnerCom Inc.

In September, Dominion Energy announced its $7.8 billion offshore wind proposal with more than 200 giant windmills to be located 27 miles off Virginias coast. It is to be the largest such facility in the nation. It sounds great unless you are a ratepayer who may have to pick up the tab.

This reminds me of another grand plan by Dominion 50 years ago. At that time, nuclear generation was the answer; some said it would be too cheap to meter. The company planned eight large nuclear units four at Surry and four at North Anna. It said the nuclear fuel would be repeatedly reprocessed and remains would be easy to store. Moreover, science would soon solve spent fuel problems. The company advised that changes and cost overruns would not be a problem. It also said these expensive plants would run almost constantly.

Reprocessing of the nuclear fuel did not materialize, construction costs skyrocketed and reliable operation of the units was many years coming. Four planned units were abandoned, costing ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars. The catastrophe almost drove the company to bankruptcy, but the State Corporation Commission (SCC) saved it with higher rates and little examination of the companys prudence.

The four remaining nuclear units now run efficiently, but that took decades and wasted hundreds of millions of ratepayer dollars. And, the spent fuel issue is still very real.

Lets look at the offshore wind proposal compared to the approach of 50 years ago. The chutzpah of the utility is similar, but here, Dominion doesnt even bother with the pretense of promises. Virginia law encourages wind energy but does require the SCC to review Dominions plans. Unfortunately, Virginia law severely restricts what the commission can do if it finds the project wanting. A hearing was held by the SCC on the $300 million pilot for the project and the SCC found, among many other things, the following with respect to Dominions plans:

Finally, and most importantly, from the hearing: The Project would not be deemed prudent as that term has been applied by this Commission in its long history of public utility regulation or under any common application of the term.

The SCC concluded that, even with these findings, because of the limitations set by the General Assembly, it had no choice but to approve the plans.

What has happened is worse than the nuclear debacle. There, the company took some responsibility; here it takes none. Dominion can proceed to build the pilot and, if performance is poor, customers will still pay all costs and a profit as well.

Without prudent realistic workable plans including weather considerations, it is absurd even to consider having more than 200 windmills with blades spanning over 500 feet spinning over the ocean 27 miles from shore for the relatively small amount of electricity to be generated. Would this system survive the winds and waves of a storm like Dorian or worse? These storms are getting stronger not weaker. Dorians winds were more than 200 miles per hour in the Bahamas and created a 100-foot wave off Newfoundland. Is there replacement power available when these units do not work? If so, at what cost? Is it higher than the 78 cents? If not, why build these? These realities must be considered.

The General Assembly can encourage environmentally friendly projects including offshore wind, but it must not forget that ratepayers pay the bill. The Assembly should not take over regulation and prohibit the SCC from determining whether plans and expenditures are prudent and in the public interest. The SCC must be able to examine fully this project, including all costs and the impacts of weather. The SCC must be able to determine whether spending over $7 billion of ratepayer money for 78 cents /kWh is in the public interest.

Hullihen Williams Moore is a former member and chair of the Virginia State Corporation Commission and the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board. He also practiced public utility law for 25 years and taught economic regulation at the law schools of the University of Virginia, the College of William & Mary and Washington and Lee University. Contact him at Hullie@comcast.net

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Hullihen Williams Moore column: Ratepayers beware on Dominion's offshore wind project - Richmond.com

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These conditions paired with the remoteness of the area have also meant that the region is relatively unexplored, despite its potential for the oil and gas sector. According to BPs estimations currently there is at least 640mn bl of oil in recoverable resources.

GlobalData upstream oil and gas analyst Daniel Rogers says: The WoS basin in comparison to the North Sea basins has been relatively under-explored. The extreme water depths, challenging subsurface, and lack of knowledge and experience in the basin lead to higher risk than the North Sea exploration. That being said, there is currently vast acreage open to explorers and yet-to-find volumes are significant.

Drilling in the area particularly peaked after the Geological Society published a study positioning the WoS area as the largest remaining exploration site with potential forsignificantnew finds, by virtue of its relative exploration immaturity.

Although the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) considered the Central North Sea as the largest yet-to-find potential on the UK Continental Shelf, new research from Global Data found that for the last four years oil and gas production in the WoS has risen and it will overtake North Sea as future-major producing basin in UK.

The report showed that North Sea operations owned by BP and Shell, the UKs biggest oil and gas producers, saw significantly decreased production, especially in comparison to their interest in the WoS. BPs production in North Sea has fallen from about 100,100 barrels of equivalent per day (boed) in 2017 to about 40,000 boed in 2018, making the companys production in North Sea significantly lower than its WoS explorations. Shells exploration in the North Sea, has also declined from around 90,000 boed in 2018 to approximately 75, 000 boed in 2019 and it shows a tendency for Shells North Sea operations to notably drop below its WoS drilling from 2020 to 2022.

Furthermore, of the successful 30th UK Offshore Licensing Round in 2017, approximately 75% of the licensed WoS blocks involved European major participation. European majors have stakes in 80% of the planned and announced projects in the area compared to approximately 40% in the North Sea.

Overall, the report concludes that theWoS area retains the attention of major Exploration and Production operators in the region; however its infrastructure difficulties can impede the future growth potential in the basin.

Rogers concludes: There remains significant value to be captured within the North Sea particularly through near field exploration and marginal field developments, however, the West of Shetlands remains more attractive for operators willing to take higher exploration risks necessary to discover fields large enough to compete for capital within highly competitive global portfolios.

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A closer look at the West of Shetland's offshore potential - Offshore Technology

GE Renewable Energy on Tuesday started construction in China of its first offshore wind assembly plant in Asia, which will produce the world's largest turbine, the 12MW Haliade-X.

The 71,000 sq metre factory in Chinas southern city of Jieyang, Guangdong province, is expected to start to manufacture the Haliade-X in the second half of 2021, according to a statement by the US group.

GE is among the first group of manufacturers to commit to investing and building factories in Jiayangs Linggang Industry Park, its offshore wind manufacturing hub, to back the citys ambition to install 13.8GW by 2030.

China is likely to become the worlds largest offshore wind market, Rachel Duan president & CEO of GE China said. By building this industry-leading factory, we hope to facilitate Guangdong province and Chinas largest-scale offshore wind vision.

Last year Chinese local governments collectively approved over 40GW of projects, of which most hope to connect to the grid by the end of 2021. Most ambitious of all, Guangdong set out a plan to build 66.9GW by 2030.

Besides the factory, GE is also launching an offshore wind operation and development center in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong. The duo will become a base for the turbine maker to expand its offshore wind footprint in the Asia Pacific region, the company statement said.

Since last year, the US group has made a speedy inroad into the Chinese wind market. Just days before the construction, the manufacturer scored an onshore turbine deal with China Huaneng to provide 286 turbines of 2.5MW to a Henan-based wind farm in the largest order for a western turbine maker to date .

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GE starts work on first offshore wind factory in Asia - Recharge