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According to Clean Energy Fuels, natural gas emissions              n 2020, the UK government set a new
                 produce 99 per cent less sulphur oxides (SO ), 80 per cent          target of reaching net zero emissions
                                                             X
                 less nitrogen oxides (NO ) and 40 per cent less carbon dioxide      by the year 2050 — balancing the
                                          X
                                                                                     amount of greenhouse gas emissions
                 (CO₂) than diesel. Therefore, as the UK works towards net        I produced with the amount removed
                 zero emissions, using gas engine technology to fuel power         from the atmosphere. The move was
                 systems can improve air quality and make this ambitious           designed to reduce greenhouse gas
                 target achievable. Martin Byrne, Sales Manager for Gas Power      emissions by at least 68 per cent by the
                 Solutions at energy and transportation expert Finning UK &        end of the decade, compared with 1990s
                                                                                   levels. The UK is not alone in setting
                 Ireland, explains some of the gas-based technologies helping      these targets — the Irish government
                 the UK to reduce its emissions                                    recently announced that it wants to cut
                                                                                   greenhouse gas emissions each year and
                                                                                   become carbon neutral by 2050.
                                                                                    According to the Institute for
                                                                                   Government, there are two routes to
                                                                                   achieving net zero emissions, which
                                                                                   complement each other: reducing the
                                                                                   number of emissions produced and
                                                                                   actively removing greenhouse gases
                                                                                   from the atmosphere. To reduce the
                                                                                   production of CO₂ and other pollutants,
                                                                                   businesses and consumers can
                                                                                   substitute diesel with gas in backup
                                                                                   power systems and small networks.
                                                                                   This move is beneficial because natural
                                                                                   gas produces fewer emissions than
                                                                                   diesel during combustion.

                                                                                   According to the Institute for
                                                                                   Government, there are two
                                                                                   routes to achieving net zero
                                                                                   emissions, which complement
                                                                                   each other: reducing the
                                                                                   number of emissions produced
                                                                                   and actively removing
                                                                                   greenhouse gases from the
                                                                                   atmosphere

                                                                                    As the UK embarks on its journey to
                                                                                   net zero, there are signs of a growing
                                                                                   trend towards using natural gas for
                                                                                   various onshore power systems. As
                                                                                   this trend grows, gas engineers will
                                                                                   play a pivotal role in servicing these
                                                                                   machines and maximising their
                                                                                   carbon-reducing capabilities.

                                                                                   COMBINED HEAT AND POWER (CHP)
                                                                                   In the UK, businesses and consumers
                                                                                   traditionally purchase their power
                                                                                   from National Grid. Using power
                                                                                   from the wider network is often
                                                                                   inefficient because of the energy
                                                                                   losses incurred during transmission.
                                                                                   From an environmental perspective,
                                                                                   this process also requires coal-fired
                                                                                   power stations, which are undesirable
                                                                                   because of the carbon dioxide and
                                                                                   other harmful pollutants that are
                                                                                   emitted during combustion.
                                                                                    One solution is generating power
                                                                                   on site using a combined heat and



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