UKCCSC News 13 March 2008

Hi Folks,

This is the special Budget edition of the News, so does that mean I get paid even less than normal?

1) UK Budget 12 March 2008. Analysis by our political correspondent in Edinburgh (RSH). The good bits are in Chapter 6, with Point 6.52 possibly new on Capture Ready, remainder not much new, just summarises position.

“an enabling regulatory framework for carbon capture and storage and its inclusion in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.”

6.12 “The UK has been supporting other countries and regions that wish to develop an economic analysis of climate change similar to the Stern Review. The Government will work with the state of California to collaborate on investment in new energy technologies and to build links between emissions trading schemes.”

6.46 “Budget 2008 announces that in Phase III the UK will auction 100 per cent of allowances to the large electricity producers’ sector.”

Box 6.4 “ETF allocation renewable energy and low-carbon technologies (at least £200m) – including offshore wind, marine, bioenergy, anaerobic digestion, microgeneration, carbon abatement technologies, hydrogen and fuel cells – including CCS.”

6.51 “Alongside the UK competition, BERR will shortly announce a new call for expressions of interest under the Environmental Transformation Fund to support the development of component parts of CCS.”

6.52 “The Energy Bill will enable carbon to be captured in the UK and stored in the North Sea. The Government will shortly be launching a consultation on CCS regulations as well as what it would mean for a new coal-fired power station to be ‘capture ready’, (i.e. to be in a position to retrofit CCS technology once it is proven at a commercial scale), and whether all new fossil fuel power stations should demonstrate that they are capture ready.”

https://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget/budget_08/report/bud_bud08_repindex.cfm

2) “New federal funding opens door to major carbon capture demonstration project in Saskatchewan” Saskpower press release

“New funding for Saskatchewan announced in yesterday’s [ Feb 26 2008] federal budget means SaskPower can proceed with plans to develop one of the first and largest clean coal/carbon capture demonstration projects in the world. The 2008 federal budget includes $240 million in new federal funding for a major carbon capture project in Saskatchewan.”

The power plant is 100 MW, and the CO₂ will go for EOR.

https://www.saskpower.com/aboutus/news/?p=368

3) Music to many ears: “Carbon capture not so costly: IEA” Rueters

“Capturing and storing greenhouse gases from power plants may be less costly than many energy companies estimate, the head of the West’s energy advisor told Reuters on Monday.

The International Energy Agency has been working on a report to estimate costs that energy companies will have to pay to cut emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), by 50 percent from now by 2050.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSL1016033220080310

4) How much environmental damage can you do in 6 minutes? Quite a lot if you are the UK Government, apparently:

“Ministers challenged over backing for coal-fired power station” Guardian

“The government has been criticised for its “confusing” climate change policy after ministers signalled support for a new coal-fired power station as a committee was launched to ensure that by 2050 the UK reduces carbon emissions by 60%.”

“The issue has become doubly charged after Greenpeace used the Freedom of Information Act to disclose emails between Hutton’s department, Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, and E.ON officials in which government officials removed the requirement to use CCS as part of the contract within six minutes of the company making the demand.”

https://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/11/energy.fossilfuels

5) Not really news, but a good article that discusses the pros and cons of emissions trading. Oddly, it is in the Nature section of the Independent. CCS gets a tiny mentions right at the end.

“The Big Question: What is carbon trading, and will it help in the battle against climate change?”

https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/the-big-question-what-is-carbon-trading

-and-will-it-help-in-the-battle-against-climate-change-794002.html

6) And I almost managed not to remind you about next weeks Progress Meeting…

That’s all Folks

Mark

Dr Mark Wilkinson

UKCCSC web-person

GeoSciences

University of Edinburgh