UKCCSC News 4 August 2010

Hi Folks,

Registration is now open for the next UKCCSC biannual meeting. Our meeting is 14-15 September at the University of Leeds and the focus will be on the European CCS scene.

National and International News

1) Yet another report from the UK, warning of dire consequences of not planning for a low carbon future;

“UK warned not to abandon low-carbon technology drive” Guardian (19 Jul)

“Low-carbon technologies must continue to get government support, or risk falling into the "valley of death" where they never reach market, according to the latest report from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).”

Shock, Horror! The article has a link to the report! Whatever next, journalists who can write capitalised acronyms?

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2) “Alkaline fuel cell specialist AFC Energy is supporting a project by B9 Coal, and its affiliate B9 Gas, to create a natural gas power station using fuel cell technology.” Business Financial News Wire (15 Jul)

“The project, which will incorporate up to 99% carbon capture…”

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Part of the same story, I’ve no idea if this claim holds any water…

“The fuel cell could quickly supersede gas turbine power generation globally.” Reuters (14 Jul)

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3) Reducing the cost of carbon capture, funded by the US DoE:

“Using Rocket Science (Literally!) for Carbon Capture” EcoGeek (13 Jul)

“Once released, the suddenly expanded and cooled CO2 would form into dry ice. In this form, it would be much easier for the CO2 to be collected.”

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4) The USA continues to buy its way out of recession by funding capture:

“…Siemens' POSTCAP technology will utilize an amino acid salt formulation as a solvent for CO2 absorption. The usage of this non-toxic, biodegradable solvent will result in a more environmentally friendly process.” PR Newswire (Jul 19)

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5) One of 6 projects looking at alternative forms of capture again with US DoE funding:

“All of the projects receiving awards look to convert carbon dioxide emissions into products such as fuel, plastics and fertilizers, according to the energy department. In Skyonic’s case, the company says its project will “mineralize” captured carbon dioxide into baking soda.”

But what happens when you bake your cake?

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6) And there’s more:

“In Illinois, Tenaska has received a record federal tax credit of $417 million to build a new $3.5-billion clean coal power plant in Taylorville. The proposed 716-megawatt (gross) Taylorville Energy Center (TEC) power plant will incorporate an integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) system with CCS that is expected to capture at least 65 percent of its CO2 emissions.” Environmental Leader (28 Jul)

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7) Germany agrees draft carbon storage law (AFP, Jul 14)

“Under the legislation presented by the environment and economy ministries in Berlin, test sites will first be established, before the government decides in 2017 whether CCS should be used as a long-term environmental solution.”

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8) “Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Mitsubishi have signed a strategic agreement to cooperate with each other on future developments.” Energy Saving Trust (Jul 20)

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9) Expert opinion is almost as fickle as public opinion, but this is still worrying:

“While 60 per cent of Canadian experts ranked increased energy efficiency as having high potential to achieve a sustainable future, only seven per cent believed that carbon capture and sequestration technologies for coal-fired electricity plants would have high potential.” Montreal Gazette (20 Jul)

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10) Still in Canada, the well-known Weyburn-Midale CO2 Monitoring and Storage Project is getting new funding:

“The Government of Canada's portion of this investment is $2.2 million, which brings its total contribution to $15.2 million in the project to date.” PR-ASU.net

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11) One to watch for?

“South Africa: Geological Storage Atlas to Disclose Potential Carbon Sites” BusinessDay (19 Jul)

“Carbon capture and storage in SA will take a step further next month with the launch of an atlas showing potential storage sites for compressed carbon.”

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12) Ever wondered what gasification entails? You need Gasifipedia!

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That’s All Folks