Page 7 - Gi flipbook September 2018

Doubt cast over CCS TCM demonstrated around the world
CCS has been successfully
reliability for mass

hydrogen conversion

ONE OF THE UK’S leading The government has
energy academics has signalled a fresh commitment
cast doubt on whether in last year’s Clean Growth
carbon capture and storage Strategy to CCS after
(CCS) can be relied upon withdrawing support from
to facilitate the mass the technology in 2015. “At the moment, in storage capacity.
conversion of the heating But Prof Watson the costs are eye He said the European
system to hydrogen. expressed concern that CCS wateringly high and most gas network can store the
Professor Jim Watson, had yet to be sufficiently demonstrations have been equivalent of 1,500TW
Director of the UK tested to establish whether over budget. We need to hours of energy, which he
Energy Research Centre, it could be rolled out on see it in a practical scale said is equivalent to 11.6
expressed his reservations the mass scale required to and people need to put million of Tesla’s Australian
during a conference on underpin the low carbon down serious money.” mega battery parks.
gas security organised by conversion of the gas But Dan Sadler, Director However, he said the
Westminster Forum. network, reports Utility Week. of the Northern Gas government would need
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Capturing the CO , He said: “There has been Networks H21 programme to make a decision by
which is a by-product of some activity but nowhere to convert the Leeds heat 2023 about switching
the technique for creating near enough when you grid to hydrogen, said the over from natural gas to
hydrogen, would reduce match it with what people technology is working “all hydrogen to enable the
the carbon emissions from expect from that technology. over the world”. low carbon conversion of
the process regarded If we are not going to do Sadler also warned that the system from the late
as the most affordable it here we need enough replacing gas heating with 2020s that is required to
method of creating the low confidence that other people electricity instead of hydrogen enable the UK to meet its
emission gas. are going to do it. would require a huge increase climate change targets. ■

Biogas industry responds to ‘vegan energy’ claims

A BRITISH RENEWABLE supply with the Vegan vegan for as long as we’ve said ADBA’s Chief Executive
electricity supplier has Society, “with gas to follow”. been able, we’re backing this Charlotte Morton.
moved to highlight the use “A large and growing up with registration from the “But where these wastes
of by-products from the number of people in Britain Vegan Society so that people are produced – and they
meat and dairy industry in make choices everyday can be clear. Electricity and are, in huge quantities –
energy generation, reports according to their principles gas might seem to be an It’s critical that they are
Bioenergy Insight. to avoid animals and unlikely place to find the recycled through anaerobic
In a statement, Ecotricity animal-derived products or things many of us want to digestion, which gets by
describes the use of those from factory farms avoid – but it’s there.” far the most out of them
animal parts as “a secret – but millions of people The UK’s Anaerobic compared to other waste
ingredient in the nation’s unwittingly supporting the Digestion and Bioresources treatment technologies,
power supply”. In response, meat industry with their Association (ADBA) has into renewable energy and
they’ve launched what energy bills,” said Ecotricity responded to the Ecotricity soil-restoring biofertiliser,
they label the world’s first founder Dale Vince. campaign, noting that it rather than left wasted and
vegan electricity. They have “It’s a surprising and rather has served to highlight the untreated to release climate-
registered their electricity shocking new frontier for issue of waste generated change-inducing methane
the issues of veganism and by society. into the atmosphere.
animal rights. It’s not just “We fully support the “Anaerobic digestion is
the Big Six guilty of this waste hierarchy and there to make the best
– many independents and believe that as little waste of agricultural and other
those who call themselves as possible should be organic wastes (such as
‘ethical’ or ‘green’ are doing produced across all areas sewage and food waste)
it too, rather shamefully. of society, including food where they do arise, not
“So we’re launching a waste and agriculture. In an to cause them in the first
vegan version. While our ideal world, there would be place – and this is a hugely
ECOTRICITY
electricity and gas have been no need for our industry,” important distinction.” ■

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News.indd 2 14/08/2018 20:00