When it comes to the scope of renewable energy, the ambit suddenly doesn’t stop after its harnessing. Considering that sustainable power is a utility generating industry, its collective reach to people is an important part of the whole scheme. In this regard, the UK government is about to formulate a plan that aptly epitomizes the generation of low carbon power in one location, and its consumption in another location thousands of miles away. According to sources, their energy minister Charles Hendry is to visit Iceland to finalize a deal that encompasses the connection of UK to Iceland’s abundant geothermal energy.
Obviously, given Iceland’s lack of land boundary with any country in the world, the project may seem to be ambitious. And, ambitious it is; as the endeavor entails the connection to be made through 1,000 to 1,500km long sea floor cables known as ‘interconnectors’. Insinuating a massive engineering feat, such cables are estimated to have around 800 tones of copper in each of their kilometer long cross section.
From a more expansive perspective, this huge web of interconnecters will not just be limited to Iceland and UK. In fact, in the next decade or so, several of such cables are planned to be constructed across the length and width of Europe. For example, an enterprising proposal have been green lighted that would connect Britain with Europe to form a ‘super grid’. This project includes different systems of renewable power like wind, wave and even solar installations. In another instance, UK will benefit over long distance from a new 1.6GW nuclear power plant being built at Flamanville, in France.
And finally, beyond just the conscientious credentials of sustainable power consumption, such proposals could actually help UK in the long run. With the gradual decrease of North Sea’s oil and gas, along with the high emission nature of coal, the country is left with the only credible option of exporting power from overseas.
Via: Guardian
