UKCCSC News 9Oct07

Hi Folks,

The powerpoint presentations from the Newcastle meeting are now on the web:

http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/ccs/UKCCSC/Newcastle.html

Looks like the Aussies are ahead in the CCS race:

1) Carbon capture plant set to be built in New South Wales (Aus)

A $5 million pilot carbon capture plant will be built on the NSW Central Coast, the state government has announced. The plant will capture greenhouse gas emissions from the Munmorah Power Station, near the Tuggerah Lakes, in a pilot program for a much larger $150 million project.

NSW Minister for Mineral Resources Ian Macdonald said the project would be built by Delta Electricity and the CSIRO, and would be completed by mid-2008 "This project will play a crucial role in pioneering the way to a much larger $150 million demonstration project, which would capture more than 50,000 tonnes of CO₂ each year," he said. The larger-scale post combustion capture and storage project should be operational by 2013, he said.

 http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Carbon-capture-plant-set-to-be-built/2007/09/27/1190486427408.html

 http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/2007/s2045313.htm

2) New Report From the NPD Focuses on Storage of Carbon Dioxide in the Norwegian Continental Shelf Monday, September 24, 2007

 Carbon dioxide can be stored in the Norwegian continental shelf. In the North Sea, the Utsira formation near the Sleipner field and the Johansen formation in the area around the Troll field are the best suited. This is one of the conclusions of a report prepared by Gassnova, Gassco and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) for the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (NPD). The assignment was to recommend good solutions for transport and disposal of CO₂.

http://www.npd.no/English/Emner/Ytre+miljo/24.9.2007deponi.htm

3) BP MILLER FIELD SHUTDOWN CONSENT 'IMMINENT'

08:50 - 20 September 2007

Oil giant BP is to receive Whitehall permission to shut down its Miller field in a way that keeps open the hope of a revolutionary carbon capture plant in the north-east. Sources within the firm confirmed last night it expects to receive written consent "imminently" to cease production - provided it maintains the pipeline to the North Sea field so it could be used if the prospects of a project are revived. But a company spokesman refused to comment until the decision is received in writing. First Minister Alex Salm-ond, who has championed the Peterhead carbon scheme, said the development was "disappointing if not unexpected"

http://www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=149212&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232919&home=yes&more_nodeId1=149221&contentPK=18442885

4) Berlin to bolster CO₂-removing coal plant technology [Date: 2007-09-20]

Germany is set to increase its support for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The federal cabinet approved on 19 September a package of measures to further research and development in the field, and gave the green light to the construction of pilot plants.

'Brown and black coal will be indispensable energy sources for Germany in the medium-term, as renewable energies would not be able to cover basic consumption,' the Government said. 'However, future coal usage has to be reconciled with the need to protect the environment.'

Carbon capture and storage technology has the potential to remove carbon dioxide from emissions at fossil-fuel power plants and production plants. Research has shown that emissions could be reduced by 75% to 90%. In theory, the CO₂ captured will then be stored deep underground.

http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=28377

for more info: http://www.bundesregierung.de/nn_1264/Content/DE/Artikel/2007/09/2007-09-19-ccs-technologien.html

5) One more in the occasional series of “you mustn’t believe everything you read in the press”.

From the Yorkshire Post comes the following newsworthy item:

Yorkshire may lead world in green power production

By Tom Smithard Political Correspondent

“Yorkshire is set to lead the world in carbon capturing – generating hundreds of millions of pounds for the region and reversing its position as one of Britain's biggest polluters, officials claimed yesterday. Regional Development Agency Yorkshire Forward will tomorrow launch the UK's biggest ever study into the emerging technology – storing global warming-causing emissions underground – in an attempt to capture £100m of Government funding.”

Unfortunately, it includes the following quote:

“….build the world's first large-scale carbon capture project, reusing mines deep underground…” Oops.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Yorkshire-may-lead-world-in.3236946.jp

6) And finally, our Stuart’s been doing his rent-a-quote act (that’s ‘public dissemination’ in UKCCSC-speak):

“Stuart Haszeldine, an expert in CCS from the University of Edinburgh, UK, said he was entirely in favour of Lackner's efforts, and incentives such as entrepreneur Richard Branson's 'Earth Challenge’”

The Lackner in the article is researching the technology of removing CO₂ directly from air.

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2007/October/05100701.asp

That’s all folks!