Archive of selected extracts from my Triple Crunch Log
China takes an early lead in the race for CCS (no url)
5 June 2009: The MD of the International Energy Agency’s Clean Coal Centre, John Topper, says that by the time Europe has its demonstration plants up and running, there could be no more need for export of CCS technology to China. The Chinese GreenGen project, a $1bn coal gasification plant with CCS, comes on stream later this year.
“China is winning the technology race,” Recharge, 5 June 2009.
My view: There is so much hubrus around coal. For a long time now the UK government has been justifying the UK CCS programme – such as it is – on the grounds that we will have to help out by showing China the way to burying emissions from coal.
No new coal fired power plants to be built in the UK without CCS ….capturing a quarter of emissions, at any rate….
24 April 2009: Energy and Climate Secretary Ed Miliband announces that new coal plants must capture at least a quarter of their emissions with experimental technology, in the expectation they will be able to capture all by 2025 – though there is no legal commitment to a performance standard. The new plants will come in clusters – the first by 2015 – in the Thames Gateway, the Humber, Tees, and Firth of Forth, with a possible fifth on Merseyside. The c£1bn per plant for CCS is likely to be raised by a levy on all fossil-fuel burning, putting 2% or £8 on the typical household bill. The decision on Kingsnorth will now be delayed for at least another year (until after the election).
My view: I appreciate that this was a compromise, and as such something of a victory for Mr Miliband in inter-departmental fighting, but really ….what is the point in capturing a quarter of the emissions? The new coal plants would still be a massive new boost to carbon emissions, long after we need to have begun deep cuts.
