Focusing on Renewable Energy
Why renewable energy?
Renewable energy is vital in the battle against climate change, specifically in the prevention of electricity generation that would otherwise have been created via the burning of fossil fuels and gasses in power stations – the most significant emitters of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
In the UK we have seen a great transformation, and in 2020, over 40% of all electricity produced in the UK was via renewable sources, specifically from Wind, Hydro and Solar Power. Â Although the UK has done a great job transitioning away from coal power stations, the majority of power is still generated from Oil and Natural Gas burning â releasing a huge amount carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
By transitioning to renewable energy sources â electricity is generated without releasing emissions â and âavoidance of emissionsâ, can be argued to me more important then âcapturing of emissionsâ via tree planting and nature based initiatives in the short term â as this makes a more significant impact now, as a âquick winâ in environmental action.
The yield and instant impact of renewable projects is also a factor and reason why they are so important. Â Once set up, one offshore wind turbine can generate 6 million kilowatt hours of electricity â which, if generated via a coal power station, would create up to 6000 tonnes of CO2e emissions. Â Each year, one turbine can prevent 6000 tonnes of CO2e emissions from being generated, significantly adding up over time.
By comparison â nature based projects have a much longer âlead timeâ in being established, capturing carbon, as well as requiring a significant amount of trees to have an impact.  Although it does vary significantly around the world, here in the UK, it takes around 6 native trees to capture 1 tonne of CO2e emissions over their whole lifetime (up to 100 years).  This means 36,000 trees would need to be planted, and it would take up to 100 years to capture the amount of emissions âavoidedâ by one offshore wind turbine replacing coal power.  You could certainly argue the additional benefits of providing a positive impact on wildlife and biodiversity, but where coal power stations are still being used, renewable projects are certainly a high priority⌠and this is where Carbon Offsetting comes into action.
Each month we are planting trees in developing countries but also the UK – to help make a difference to climate change at home and abroad for the future – but we are also offsetting CO2e emissions each month via a range of Carbon Offsetting projects around the world.
In addition to nature based projects, you are supporting a wide range of Renewable Energy Projects â where the impact on climate change is significant.
Carbon Offsetting via the verified standards ensures all projects are âadditionalâ â meaning, the project not have occurred if it was not for funding from your support and purchase of offsets (via your subscription). Â As a result, most Renewable Energy Projects will be found in developing countries (not the UK) â where there is not the financial support or ability to set the projects up themselves. Â The impact in developing countries is also greater â as many project host countries still burn a huge quantity of fossil fuels for their energy generation â and so by providing renewable energy projects, electricity can be created, preventing millions of tonnes of CO2e emissions from being created via âavoidance of emissionsâ.
Chacayes Hydro Project – Chile
Chacayes run of river hydro project is a 111 MW power plant located in the Cachapoal Valley, Libertador Bernardo OâHiggins Region, Chile. The project plays an important role in helping to meet the countryâs increasing demand for electricity, reducing CO2 emissions and contributing to its economic growth and to the sustainable development of the local communities.
Due to the wide variety of measures undertaken and the innovative environmental initiatives implemented during construction of the Chacayes plant to minimize environmental impacts, Chacayes received, among others, the âHydro Project of the Year Awardâ by the organizers of the POWER-GEN International and “Environmental Initiative of the Year” Award at the International Tunnelling Awards in Hong Kong, hosted by the UK’s New Civil Engineer and Ground Engineering magazines.
Burgos Wind Farm – Philippines
The Burgos Wind Project is the largest wind farm in the Philippines, located in one of the best areas in the country to generate clean energy from wind. The 150-MW facility has fifty (50) Vestas V90 wind turbines, each with a rated capacity of 3 MWs.
One the largest renewable energy projects in South East Asia – the project has a significant impact on preventing fossil fuel burning for energy within the region, as well as employing over 600 staff in the on-going maintenance and operation of the site.