UKCCSC News 3 April 2008

Hi Folks,

First, some house-keeping. The presentations from the progress meeting in Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, are on the web at:

https://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/ccs/UKCCSC/HW08.html

Also on the web-site, presentations from the London (RAE) meeting, February 2008:

https://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/ccs/Meetings/RAE_LondonFeb08.html

The NERC performance indicators, heroically compiled by Mathieu Lucquiaud are also on-line:

https://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/ccs/UKCCSC/Results/

I’ve put the publications for the UKCCSC on-line. Please check to see if you’ve got anything here, and if possible send me a pdf and I’ll add it to the page:

https://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/ccs/Publications/UKCCS/

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And now for something completely different. March 31st was the deadline for entrance into the UK Government competition to build a complete commercial-scale CCS scheme. Ideally, I’d put an accurate and comprehensive list of bids into this newsletter. However, neither the DBERR website nor the popular press has published such a list, and we only seem to know about 3 bids, lead by Eon, Scottish Power and RWE npower, see below for 2 of these.

1) “RWE npower announces team for carbon competition” Reuters

“RWE is looking at building a demonstration plant near London with gas and chemicals company BOC, U.S.-based engineering company The Shaw Group, Tullow Oil, Norwegian marine transport company I.M. Skaugen, and carbon capture specialists Cansolv Technologies.”

https://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKL1924306120080320

2) Eon have stepped in to very muddy water indeed, with a suggestion that planning permission for their controvercial coal-fired powerstation at Kinsnorth should await the outcome of the DBERR CCS competition:

“Hutton humbled as E.ON calls for Kingsnorth delay” Greenpeace

“the company’s statement calls for a delay on the Kingsnorth decision until after a DBERR consultation on carbon capture and storage technology is completed.”

https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/climate/hutton-humbled-as-e-on-calls-for-kingsnorth-delay-20080331

3) Grounds for optimism or not?

“UK on track to meet Kyoto emissions targets, says Benn” Guardian Unlimited March 27

“The energy minister, Malcolm Wicks, said: “Today’s figures show that we are on the way to a low-carbon future. Energy efficiency, more renewable energy, new nuclear and carbon capture and storage technology will all play a key part in ensuring that greenhouse gas emissions continue to fall.”

The shadow environment secretary, Peter Ainsworth, said the figures should be treated with caution given a recent report by the National Audit Office saying there was an “absence of clear reporting standards”.

He added: “The exclusion of international aviation means we are not getting the whole picture.”

And I bet that international shipping isn’t in there either…

https://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/27/carbonemissions.climatechange

4) Definitely not grounds for hope:

“Carbon capture is turning out to be just another great green scam” Guardian Unlimited

“Cleaner technology is possible, but Labour plans to introduce it so slowly that any benefits will be lost in higher coal output”

The replies are lead by one Martin Blunt…

https://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/20/carbonemissions.oil

5) Shell have their crystal ball out again:

“Shell officials outline routes to world’s energy future” Oil and gas journal

“The tools … include cap and trade programs, CCS, more-efficient transportation, credible wind and storage targets, and more-efficient building and appliance standards”

https://www.ogj.com/display_article/324675/7/ONART/none/GenIn/1/Shell-officials-outline-routes-to-world’s-energy-future/

6) Lastly, news from Down-Under:

“Australia to begin carbon capture” BBC News

“Australia’s first underground carbon storage facility has opened in the southern state of Victoria.”

“Environmentalists, though, are not convinced that the technology is appropriate.”

Only 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ will be injected, so it’s only a test of the technology.

https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7325782.stm

That’s all Folks

Mark