NEWS
Launch of €25,000 travel fund for international standards- related work
Jenna White, Management Accountant at Catalyst utilising the new EV charger on her electric car at Catalyst’s Belfast site.
Catalyst installs 30 EV charging points across sites
Catalyst, a technology hub in Northern Ireland, has installed 30 electric vehicle (EV) charging points across its Belfast and Derry sites as part of its goal to achieve carbon Net Zero by 2040. The £400k investment includes solar panels installed at the Innovation Centre in Belfast, which will reduce the company’s purchase of external energy by 10%. The ChargePoint equipment is now in operation, doubling the
amount of EV charging points in Belfast to 60. Catalyst has already achieved a carbon output three times lower than the European Environment Agency’s benchmark. Catalyst Director of Property & Community, Mervyn Watley, said that the installation of the charging points is a step towards Net Zero. Catalyst has also implemented energy-saving measures such as LED lighting and building management system controls.
NSAI is partnering with Engineers Ireland to offer its electrical engineer members funding towards international travel associated with standards-related work. The €25,000 fund is now open for applications from engineers that are planning to attend international technical committee meetings in 2023 which are organised by a recognised standardisation body (such as IEC, CENELEC, CEN and ISO). Successful applicants can use the funding towards vouched expenses incurred, such as flights, hotel stays, meals and transportation. The current call for applications closes on Friday, 30 June 2023 and applications must relate to an international meeting taking place in 2023. A further call for applications may take place later in the year, subject to funding still being available. NSAI is Ireland’s official standards body and is responsible for developing and publishing national, European and international standards for products, processes and services. Download your application form here: https://www.nsai.ie/about/news/call- for-applications-to-fund-international- travel-with-standards-work/
Offshore wind projects to benefit local communities
Ireland’s first offshore wind auction under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS 1) has delivered outstanding results, with over 3GW of capacity procured from four offshore wind projects, providing over 12TWh of renewable electricity per year. The auction has surpassed expectations, with a highly competitive average price of €86.05/MWh, which is expected to save Irish electricity consumers hundreds of millions of euros per year. This marks a major breakthrough for Ireland’s offshore wind future, as it is the largest volume of renewable energy Ireland has ever procured at auction, equivalent to over a third of Ireland’s entire electricity consumption this year and over a quarter of projected 2030 electricity demand. The success of ORESS 1 has encouraged Ireland’s Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Communications to develop
further offshore wind auctions to achieve the country’s energy-independent future. Successful ORESS 1 offshore wind projects will pay local marine and coastal communities over €24m annually up to 20 years after it begins to produce renewable energy.
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