Scottish renewable energy figures are impressive!

We have a keen interest in renewable energy at t. ward, so we were really pleased to read that Scotland’s renewable electricity output is looking so impressive – the nation’s overall output hit record levels during the first three months of 2014.

The figures, which were released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change at the end of June, revealed that Scotland generated a record 6,678 GWh of renewable electricity in the first quarter of 2014, partly as a result of a record quarter of hydro output. Hydro power output was 9.2 per cent higher than it was at the end of 2011, when we saw the previous record. It’s not just hydro – wind generated power is performing exceptionally well too and output is at record levels, four per cent higher than previous records.
Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said:

“The record high hydro output shows that we are contributing to a balanced mix of energy generation across Scotland which could see hydro power account for up to a quarter of Scotland’s generating capacity in the next decade.”

The good news was revealed at the same time that the Renewable Energy Association (REA) called on David Cameron and other EU leaders to recognise the importance of national 2030 renewable energy targets in maintaining energy security.

The REA said that putting in place national targets for increasing home-grown renewable energy by 2030 would help reduce the risk of Scotland being affected by any potential volatility in energy markets, and that renewables were also the best option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Both of these are excellent reasons to keep up the good work with renewable energy and recyclates, something that we’re happy to be a part of at t.ward.

Demolition in progress at Cockenzie Site

ScottishPower carried on with the restructuring of the old Cockenzie Power Station site in June, with the demolition of two more steel ‘Precipitator’ structures by controlled explosion. The demolition was a big project; the 300 tonne structures were 34 metres high with a width of 10 metres by 12.5 metres.

The removal of the steel structures was managed by Brown and Mason, and ScottishPower worked closely with East Lothian Council and Police Scotland to make sure that no road closures were needed during the demolition.

The structures were located on the seaward side of the main building, and members of the public watched the demolition from the Greenhills. This demolition is another chapter in the ongoing story of Cockenzie, which looks likely to be transformed into a vast renewable energy park involved with the construction of offshore wind turbines.

At t. ward we’re very much looking forward to finding out about the plans for the proposed development – if they go ahead they will create a modern industrial landscape between Prestonpans and Port Seton, complete with giant turbines being manufactured 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This can only be an advantage for the area, not simply because of the possibility of job creation, but also because the generation and consumption of renewable energy is something Scotland should be rightly proud of; Figures published last month showed that Scotland generated a very impressive 6,678 GWh of renewable electricity in the first quarter of 2014, which represents an increase of over 50 per cent on the same quarter in 2013 and is also 10.4 per cent higher than the previous record.

A deep water port in the area is also likely to encourage additional investment to the area, and there are even rumours that a cruise ship terminal is being proposed for the site.

We’ll keep you up to date on any news about the development.

Why Smaller can be Better

As experts in the shipping industry, we are acutely aware of the trends which affect both our clients and our business. We’ve certainly noticed in recent times, a swing towards using smaller, more focussed shipping companies and away from the larger ‘names’ – and we asked ourselves why this was.

A few years ago, as the recession started to bite, it seemed that everyone was trying to save on cost, which was understandable. It would seem that in some cases, this was at the expense of two key elements though; the speed of transit and level of service. In some cases, we’ve heard that opting for lower-cost options ended up costing clients’ more in the long run. With the economy now picking up, quality of service is once more top of the list of considerations, which is often where the smaller company can excel.

Obviously, being a smaller company ourselves, T Ward Shipping prides itself on offering bespoke shipping services and in fact, we also aim to go over and above what you might expect from a bigger company, just because we can!

We think that customers are starting to see the advantages of the small company approach; smaller businesses might not have the buying power of a larger firm but when we do win your business we are always appreciative; it’s a competitive market. As a result, it’s possible that smaller shipping companies try that little bit harder to hold on to their valued customers, by  offering an above average customer experience.

In a way, it’s easier for smaller firms to do this, as the sheer volume of clientele isn’t there in the same way it could be for a multi-national firm. Instead of having to farm calls out to a call centre or a customer service department, when you speak to a smaller company they probably only have a few people dealing with the calls on a regular basis, which gives you a chance to build up a relationship and not have to go over everything again each time you speak to a new ‘customer services adviser’.

It also means that if something does go wrong, a smaller company is more invested in making sure that it gets put right quickly. A larger company might have a whole list of complaints and issues to deal with – with a smaller firm the focus is on keeping the client happy and retaining business. Reputation is a major issue for small firms, who don’t have the budget for large marketing campaigns so rely on word of mouth and reputation for their business.

It’s almost like having a transport department of your own!

One major advantage we also identified for smaller shipping companies is that they have the freedom to offer a variety of services instead of being restricted just to their own. This opens up a wider choice for customers and gives them much more flexibility to accommodate specific requirements.

It seems that using smaller forwarder takes away all the hassle of transporting and shipping your items. Smaller firms such as T Ward Shipping can offer a tailored service, tailored to your requirements and all with a personal touch!

The shipping industry inspires imagination!

We can certainly tell a tale or two here at t.ward shipping, but although we have always thought that the shipping industry is fascinating, it’s not the sort of industry that we imagined being a setting for a suspense novel! All that has changed since we found out about the latest novel by Matthew McCleery, though.

Matthew, who knows his subject extremely well as he is also president of Marine Money International, which publishes Marine Money magazine and other ship finance publications, has written the exciting sounding Viking Raid: A Robert Fairchild Novel. The book tells the tale of ex-hedge fund manager Robert Fairchild and a Norwegian shipping tycoon as they attempt a $500 million initial public offering "but end up wedged between an American shale gas wildcatter and the energy-hungry People's Republic of China."

If that – ahem – floats your boat, then you’ll also be pleased to hear that Viking Raid isn’t McCleery’s first shipping industry themed novel. His first foray into the world of shipping fiction was called ‘The Shipping Man’ and this story explored the complex and potentially problematic connections between Wall Street and the maritime world. It did well; Forbes gave the book a good review and it garnered praise from some influential shipping industry executives. Both books are available through Amazon.

Matthew McCleery isn’t the only fiction writer who has gained inspiration from the world of shipping, either. Back in 2012, CNBC.com Managing Editor Allen R. Wastler, who covered the maritime industry for The Journal of Commerce for many years, self-published a novel called “Cargo Kills.”

The novel, which is available for download on Amazon.com sounds intriguing, that’s for sure; "Dark docks, gritty shipyards, diesel-stained trains and trucks ... cargo is a dirty business ... and a deadly business. When ocean liners mysteriously sink and a dead body floats up under a cargo pier, a young reporter finds the story of his life. Problem is, can he keep his life long enough to tell it?"

Perhaps we’re looking at a completely new genre here? You read it here first…

Clean Energy for Scotland

There’s more good news for Scotland and its renewable energy sector; it’s recently been reported that a tidal energy scheme in the Pentland Firth has the potential to provide enough power to cover almost half of Scotland's electricity needs.

Engineers from Cambridge and Oxford universities have discovered that the firth, between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, has some of the UK’s fastest tidal currents, and estimate that if turbines were placed in the water there it could generate up to 1.9GW (gigawatts) of clean energy; equal to 43 per cent of Scotland’s average electricity consumption needs.

Turbines would need to be located across the entire width of the channel to fully exploit it, something that we at t ward shipping are glad to hear, as our work with the wind turbine industry puts us in the ideal position to be able to get involved with exciting offshore projects like this.

The team who conducted the study have already identified some of the best locations for the turbines, both in terms of their energy producing potential and their impact on the environment – so the project is looking very promising.

Prof Alistair Borthwick from the University of Edinburgh, said that the recent research built on earlier studies, and had analysed interactions between turbines and the tides more closely to come up with the figures. He explained;

"This is a more accurate approach than was used in the early days of tidal stream power assessment, and should be useful in calculating how much power might realistically be recoverable from the Pentland Firth."

The news was welcomed by WWF Scotland, who said that the sooner wind turbines could be deployed, the greater chance Scotland would have to become a world leader in developing the kind of technology needed to turn tidal power into clean, green electricity.

The project will be the first commercial deployment of tidal turbines in Scottish waters. MeyGen, who were given permission to develop the project in September last year,  said the phased project could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 42,000 homes, and that a second phase could see up to 400 submerged turbines at the site.

Watch this space for more updates on this interesting project; we’ll be taking a great interest in it ourselves.

Clean Energy for Scotland

There’s more good news for Scotland and its renewable energy sector; it’s recently been reported that a tidal energy scheme in the Pentland Firth has the potential to provide enough power to cover almost half of Scotland's electricity needs.

Engineers from Cambridge and Oxford universities have discovered that the firth, between Orkney and the Scottish mainland, has some of the UK’s fastest tidal currents, and estimate that if turbines were placed in the water there it could generate up to 1.9GW (gigawatts) of clean energy; equal to 43 per cent of Scotland’s average electricity consumption needs.

Turbines would need to be located across the entire width of the channel to fully exploit it, something that we at t ward shipping are glad to hear, as our work with the wind turbine industry puts us in the ideal position to be able to get involved with exciting offshore projects like this.

The team who conducted the study have already identified some of the best locations for the turbines, both in terms of their energy producing potential and their impact on the environment â€" so the project is looking very promising.

Prof Alistair Borthwick from the University of Edinburgh, said that the recent research built on earlier studies, and had analysed interactions between turbines and the tides more closely to come up with the figures. He explained;

"This is a more accurate approach than was used in the early days of tidal stream power assessment, and should be useful in calculating how much power might realistically be recoverable from the Pentland Firth."

The news was welcomed by WWF Scotland, who said that the sooner wind turbines could be deployed, the greater chance Scotland would have to become a world leader in developing the kind of technology needed to turn tidal power into clean, green electricity.

The project will be the first commercial deployment of tidal turbines in Scottish waters. MeyGen, who were given permission to develop the project in September last year, said the phased project could generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 42,000 homes, and that a second phase could see up to 400 submerged turbines at the site.

Watch this space for more updates on this interesting project; we’ll be taking a great interest in it ourselves.

Why Smaller can be Better

As experts in the shipping industry, we are acutely aware of the trends which affect both our clients and our business. We’ve certainly noticed in recent times, a swing towards using smaller, more focussed shipping companies and away from the larger ‘names’ â€" and we asked ourselves why this was.

A few years ago, as the recession started to bite, it seemed that everyone was trying to save on cost, which was understandable. It would seem that in some cases, this was at the expense of two key elements though; the speed of transit and level of service. In some cases, we’ve heard that opting for lower-cost options ended up costing clients’ more in the long run. With the economy now picking up, quality of service is once more top of the list of considerations, which is often where the smaller company can excel.

Obviously, being a smaller company ourselves, T Ward Shipping prides itself on offering bespoke shipping services and in fact, we also aim to go over and above what you might expect from a bigger company, just because we can!
We think that customers are starting to see the advantages of the small company approach; smaller businesses might not have the buying power of a larger firm but when we do win your business we are always appreciative; it’s a competitive market. As a result, it’s possible that smaller shipping companies try that little bit harder to hold on to their valued customers, by offering an above average customer experience.

In a way, it’s easier for smaller firms to do this, as the sheer volume of clientele isn’t there in the same way it could be for a multi-national firm. Instead of having to farm calls out to a call centre or a customer service department, when you speak to a smaller company they probably only have a few people dealing with the calls on a regular basis, which gives you a chance to build up a relationship and not have to go over everything again each time you speak to a new ‘customer services adviser’.

It also means that if something does go wrong, a smaller company is more invested in making sure that it gets put right quickly. A larger company might have a whole list of complaints and issues to deal with â€" with a smaller firm the focus is on keeping the client happy and retaining business. Reputation is a major issue for small firms, who don’t have the budget for large marketing campaigns so rely on word of mouth and reputation for their business.
It’s almost like having a transport department of your own!

One major advantage we also identified for smaller shipping companies is that they have the freedom to offer a variety of services instead of being restricted just to their own. This opens up a wider choice for customers and gives them much more flexibility to accommodate specific requirements.

It seems that using smaller forwarder takes away all the hassle of transporting and shipping your items. Smaller firms such as T Ward Shipping can offer a tailored service, tailored to your requirements and all with a personal touch!