UKCCSC News 18 June 2009

Hi Folks,

The UK Government’s consultation on clean coal runs from 17 June – 9 September 2009, so better get those pens out.

https://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=403542&NewsAreaID=2

There’s plenty of reading to go with it:

‘A framework for the development of clean coal’

https://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/clean_coal/clean_coal.aspx

Also a report by AEA Group:

‘Future Value of Coal Carbon Abatement Technologies to UK Industry’ 17 June

https://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/clean_coal/clean_coal.aspx

Somewhere in this lot is a proposal for a new tax to fund CCS in 2011. There’s no rush, honest:

“Tax on electricity to fund carbon capture plan” Telegraph (17 Jun)

“Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, said four new “carbon capture and storage” trials would eventually add 2pc to bills through a levy on electricity suppliers”

Pity there wasn’t a bit more info on this bit:

“The Government is also forming a contingency plan for reducing emissions from coal-powered plants, since the technology behind transporting and burying carbon is not yet proven.”

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/5562270/Tax-on-electricity-to-fund-carbon-capture-plan.html

2) In the USA, the Waxman-Markey bill, the climate /energy legislation moving through Congress continues to prove controversial, in this case at the Reuters Global Energy Summit, Houston, early June:

“Rich Kinder, head of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP, said his company would not build pipelines necessary to transport the gas, even though it operates the largest U.S. pipeline network for CO₂ used to increase oil production from aging fields in West Texas. “There are more difficulties to carbon storage than a lot of people think,” Kinder said.” Guardian (5 June)

https://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/8543965

3) Better news from the USA?

“Enviro Groups Fault Scaled-Back FutureGen Carbon Goal” New York Times (16 Jun)

“DOE last week reversed a Bush-era decision by unveiling tentative plans to proceed with the federal-industry project to build a prototype coal plant in Mattoon, Ill., that would trap and store carbon dioxide emissions.”

“The Clean Air Task Force issued a statement over the weekend saying the revised carbon goal [60 % not 90 % capture] transforms FutureGen into “YesterGen.””

https://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/06/16/16greenwire-enviro-groups-fault-scaled-back-futuregen-carb-42499.html

4) I guess we all knew this anyway:

“Carbon prices remain far too low to make permanent North Sea burial viable, the UK Government has been warned.” Press and Journal (1 June)

“The warning came from Oil and Gas UK , the voice of the offshore industry”.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1240297?UserKey=

5) Continuing the theme of pessimism:

“G20 renewable energy aid not enough: IEA” Reuters (1 Jun)

“The IEA, which advises 28 industrialized countries on energy, estimates that only about $20 billion out of a total of $2.6 trillion in economic aid announced in the economic crisis by the G20 countries will go toward renewable power, with only $100 billion or 5 percent for the wider goal of cleaner and more efficient energy use.”

I guess it sounds like lots, which is part of the problem.

https://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE55039R20090601

6) Some good news at last (hurray!) which may or may not be the same as news item 4 in the 29 May News which didn’t seem to have any cash attached to it:

“Norway joins forces with UK and EU on carbon capture and storage” Energy Efficiency News (1 June) “Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg announced that the country will be earmarking 20% of its contributions to the European Economic Area (EEA) over the next five years to CCS projects. At least €140 million will support efforts to explore the potential of the North Sea for storing CO₂ and to realising the EU’s goal of establishing 12 CCS demonstration projects by 2015.”

https://www.energyefficiencynews.com/i/2127/

7) The Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute in Australia has a web-presence at:

https://www.ret.gov.au/resources/gccsi/Pages/default.aspx

8) It’s good to hear that Germany is blessed with Tories similar to our own:

“German conservatives delay vote on CO₂ capture law” Reuters (16 Jun)

Any expressions about Rome and Fiddles spring to mind?

“A spokeswoman for the parliamentary group of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives said the group will reconsider the carbon capture and storage (CCS) law again in two weeks.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE55F3OV20090616

9) A different slant on funding CCS:

“Japan May Offer Loans to Fund Clean-Coal Power Plants” Bloomberg (17 Jun)

“Japan plans to offer loans to power producers in the U.S. and Australia that buy so-called clean coal generators from Japanese manufacturers, according to a government document”

https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=a_hezkg_no_4

10) This month’s free holiday offer is to Regina, Canada:

12th Meeting of the International Post-Combustion CO₂ capture Network, Sept 29 – Oct 1st, IEAGHG.

https://www.co2captureandstorage.info/networks/cap12-agenda1.pdf

That’s all Folks

Mark