UKCCSC News 5 March 2010

Hi Folks,

I’d been waiting for the results of the UK Government CCS competition to be announced before sending out this issue, looks like I might be better waiting for Hell to freeze over (and presumably melt again)? There are rumours but nothing definite (the definitive story will appear 10 seconds after I’ve sent this out, you watch…). OK, let’s go with the rumours, sourced from the FT (who prohibit e-mailing their text):

“Iberdrola and E.ON set to be given UK funds to develop carbon storage technology” Power-Gen Worldwide (3 March)

How much?

“…government support that could be worth tens of millions of pounds…”

Notice the ‘could’ word!

“The consortia led by E.ON and Scottish Power are the last remaining participants in a competition for the prize of an undetermined sum of public money to support construction of a demonstration plant on a modest commercial scale.”

So is that the result or not then?

https://www.powergenworldwide.com/index/display/articledisplay/2701085588/articles/powergenworldwide/coal-generation/coal-generation-equipment/2010/03/iberdrola-and_e_on.html

I don’t think that counted so this is number 1) Bad news from the UK: “Bid to restrict emissions fails” Press Association (24 Feb)

“A cross-party bid to restrict carbon dioxide emissions from new power stations has narrowly failed in the Commons.”

https://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jyP_fgaR8g6fKLtwF7cmpFbwMP9g

2) “North east England bids to become carbon capture hub” Energy Efficiency News (4 Feb)

“The plans include Progressive Energy’s proposed CCS-enabled 850MW Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant at Eston Grange in the Tees Valley and the conversion of one of three 140 MW generating units at an existing Rio Tinto Alcon plant at Lynemouth, Northumberland.”

https://www.energyefficiencynews.com/power-generation/i/2781/

3) Norway continues to go it alone on the CO₂ reductions front, in both aspiration and practise:

“Norway outlines ways to reach deep 2020 CO₂ cuts” Reuters (17 Feb)

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61G2Z320100217

The report (and English summary) is at:

https://www.klimakur2020.no/

4) From the USA: “FutureGen’s Restoration” Commodities Now (15 Feb)

I must have blinked and missed this but apparently: “the president has given it an official thumb’s up in his state-of-the-union speech”

https://www.commodities-now.com/news/power-and-energy/1802-futuregens-restoration.html

5) “UN launches project to help poorer countries curb greenhouse emissions” UN News Centre (19 Feb)

“Developing countries with energy intensive industries will benefit from a United Nations-backed project launched today to draw up a technological blueprint for capturing and storing global warming gas emissions,”

https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33824&Cr=&Cr1=

6) The USA again: “Proposal calls for emissions study with new government-approved projects” Los Angeles Times (Feb 19)

“The Obama administration proposed rules Thursday that could affect construction of coal-fired power plants and other government-approved projects that produce large amounts of greenhouse gases.”

https://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-fed-climate19-2010feb19,0,6382362.story

7) East Kilbride, Scotland: “TUV NEL proposes Joint Industry Project to develop monitoring and reporting guidelines for CCS” Industry Today (1 Mar)

TUV NEL is an International technology services organisation, so now you know.

https://www.industrytoday.co.uk/energy_and_environment/tuv-nel-proposes-joint-industry-project-to-develop-monitoring-and-reporting-guidelines-for-ccs/0617

8) From Bill Gates: “The world’s energy portfolio should not include coal or natural gas, he said, and must include carbon capture and storage technology” CNN (12 Feb)

If there’s no coal or gas burned, would CCS be needed? Discuss.

https://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/02/12/bill.gates.clean.energy/?hpt=T2

9) From the Norwegian Prime Minister (Jens Stoltenberg) via India: “We are investing $1 billion in a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project, injecting methane from oil fields 1,000 metres into the continental shelf sea bed.” The Times of India (7 Feb)

Is that really how CCS works?

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articlelist/articleshow/5543885.cms

10) From the USA: “Skyonic gets $3M stimulus funding to turn CO₂ into baking soda” Texas Energy and Environment (9 Feb)

“Austin carbon capture company Skyonic will get $3 million in stimulus funding to add its technology to a San Antonio cement plant and turn carbon dioxide into baking soda.”

Here’s the good bit, a spokesperson declined to say “…what the company will do with all that baking soda.”

https://energyandenvironmentblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/02/skyonic-gets-3m-stimulus-fundi.html

That’s All Folks

Mark