Energy World - June 2009
Viewpoint
Restoring the UK’s international leadership on climate change
Tony Grayling
News
International news
- China could take lead in clean coal, says IEA
- EU carbon emissions down 6% – slump partly to blame
- New wind projects planned for Europe; stimulus act helps wind development
- Istanbul to host 35 MW waste gas-to-energy plant
- US ‘green power’ sales up 20% in 2008
- US wind power industry increases employment by 70%
- Europe’s largest fossil power plant to be modernised
- Empire State Building to cut energy use by 38%
- Economic climate results in capability refocus for BP
Home news
- ‘An end to unabated coal’ as up to four CCS plants are to be built in UK
- Green light for waste-to-energy plant
- National carbon budgets and new support for low carbon industries
- Energy industry teams fuelled up for the BG Energy Challenge
- npower/E.ON joint venture buys sites for new nuclear power stations
- Alstom to build UK’s largest CCGT power plant for RWE
- E.ON withdraws from Wave Hub project
- National Grid loses Competition Appeal Tribunal
- Help for motorists and industry to go low carbon
- New improved Warm Front Scheme
Features
Can Britain lead the way in carbon capture and storage?
Dr Phil Goddard of the Energy Industries Council studies the current status of carbon capture and storage in the UK, and concludes that the pressing need is to get some British projects off the ground very quickly.
Europe’s race for CCS
With recent announcements of funds available to kick-start carbon capture and storage, Europe is taking steps in the journey to commercialise the technology. But, with a wide consensus that CCS needs to be up and running by 2020, time is of the essence. Mark Rowe reports on developments from the continent.
Carbon capture and storage
Pilot plant for West Virginia, research activities at Schwarze Pumpe, GCCSI grows further
UGC – getting the most out of coal
Burning coal above ground is one way of extracting energy from the resource. The gasification of coal is another method, which can also deliver valuable byproducts – and it can be done underground, eliminating the need for mining. Steve Walters argues the case for underground coal gasification, and discusses a project planned for Scotland which would be Britain’s first.
Biomass – carbon sink or carbon sinner?
Whither the UK electricity grid?
Is Britain’s electricity transmission and distribution network likely to be ‘fit for purpose’ for the next 20 years? The subject ranges from how power from remote offshore wind farms is to be delivered to consumers, to how ‘smart meters’ (and indeed a smart grid) will help deliver energy policy goals. Fine questions, all explored at a British Energy Association workshop held in London in March. Energy World’s Marc Height was there.
