UKCCSC News 28 April 2008

Hi Folks,

It’s a little late for an April Fool’s joke, so risking making a fool of myself (not for the first time I hear you say) then, unless you are a lawyer working for a large energy company, try this:

https://ev-eon.com/

The animation has been criticised for giving the impression that CO₂ is emitted from cooling towers (isn’t it?), but surely it could also be criticised for inappropriate use of flying saucers!

For more info see:

https://ev-eon.com/blog/ev-eon-launched-on-the-streets-of-london/#comment-5

In the company of the satirical animators, we scientist-types have also been getting out of the lab recently, and stoking the fires of winter discontent:

2) “Coal power policy under attack from top scientists” Guardian

“In a letter to John Hutton, business and enterprise secretary, the Royal Society said new coal-fired power stations that fail to capture 90% of their carbon emissions by 2020 should be closed down.”

https://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/apr/03/fossilfuels.energy?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

The letter itself is at:

https://royalsociety.org/news.asp?id=7558

3) More scientists doing a bit of political stirring, this time it’s Stuart Haszeldine working with think tank Policy Exchange. Apparently, the think tank is “centre right”, so goodness only knows how they let Haszeldine in…

“Government “missing the boat” on green technology” EgovMonitor

“Political timidity is preventing the development of carbon capture power stations

Fitting carbon capture and storage technology could slash global power emissions by 28% by 2050 but timidity and policy incoherence is holding back its large-scale deployment in the UK, according to a new report ‘Is Britain ready for Carbon Capture?’ by the leading thank tank Policy Exchange.

According to the authors of the report, led by Prof. Stuart Haszeldine of the University of Edinburgh, confusion over government policy and timescales means that the number of proposed Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects in the UK has halved in the past year.”

https://www.egovmonitor.com/node/18035

https://www.policyexchange.org.uk/images/libimages/367.pdf

4) This article from New Scientist is extremely pessimistic, and will be read by many scientists:

“Can coal live up to its clean promise?” 27 March issue

“The most detailed published assessment, by Peter Viebahn of the German Aerospace Center in Stuttgart, estimates that at best CCS will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power stations by little more than two-thirds. That compares with life-cycle emissions for most renewable energy technologies that are 1 to 4 per cent of those from burning coal.”

So the answer to the question is “NO” apparently?

https://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/mg19726491.500-can-coal-live-up-to-its-clean-promise.html

5) “TransAlta, Alstom plan Canadian carbon project” Reuters USA

“TransAlta said it signed a deal with France’s Alstom for the initial stage of a capture and storage facility at a plant west of Edmonton, using a Alstom’s chilled ammonia process, seen as a low-cost solution.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN0320684320080403

6) “China aims for first zero emission power by 2015” Green-Gen

“In China our system is different. When we decide to do something we can just push on with it” GreenGen president Su Wenbin

https://uk.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=UKPEK31729520080423

7) “FACTBOX-Planned carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects”

A helpful list of planned projects worldwide with company / project name, fuel, power output, capture technology and date expected operational.

https://uk.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=UKL2488820020080424

8) Carbon Storage started on Snøhvit, Wednesday, April 23, OilVoice

https://www.OilVoice.com/n/Carbon_Storage_Started_on_Snhvit/edda32bb.aspx

9) EU must create carbon storage incentive, says UK adviser https://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKL2338489920080423

10) “Promising New Material For Capturing Carbon Dioxide From Smokestacks” ScienceDaily

“Researchers have developed a new, low-cost material for capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the smokestacks of coal-fired power plants and other generators of the greenhouse gas. Produced with a simple one-step chemical process, the new material has a high capacity for absorbing carbon dioxide – and can be reused many times.”

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303163804.htm

Phew, that’s all at last

Mark