Page 9 - Gi_August2019

industry & government news

UK FRACKER EXPLORES public transport to help develop a

commercial use of the greener gas
that a key climate report highlighted
HYDROGEN OPTION FOR as crucial to hitting the net zero
climate target by 2050.
“The north of England can become
HEATING AND TRANSPORT both a major gas producer and a major
hydrogen hub – perhaps the centre
of the hydrogen revolution in the
UK,” Francis Egan, Cuadrilla’s Chief
Executive Officer told Bloomberg News
in an email. Still in its infancy, the aim
of the project is to make shale gas more
cost competitive and a lower emissions
source of hydrogen than imported
liquefied natural gas, he said.
The government’s climate advisers
said in their landmark report earlier
this year that hydrogen will need to
be used in heating systems instead of
natural gas in order to dramatically cut
emissions to net zero.
After years of delays, fracking in
the UK seemed closer than ever when
Cuadrilla said in February that the
nation’s first horizontal fracking well
had uncovered a large reservoir of high-
quality fuel.
Progress since then has been slowed
by a groundswell of public opinion
against that practice of pumping
fluid and sand under high pressure
to stimulate gas flows from otherwise
untappable rock formations.
Cuadrilla and Ineos Group have
also complained that an over-zealous
CUADRILLA WANTS TO EXPLORE HYDROGEN regulatory regime on seismic activity
has prevented them from being able to
CUADRILLA IS LOOKING at ways to pushing the green fuel. realise the potential of UK shale gas.
produce hydrogen from its stalled The firm said it will study how Those limits as well as a swift drop in
shale gas exploration site in northwest hydrogen can be produced from the price of gas is making it harder to
England to benefit from UK policy its wells to heat homes and power justify new drilling.

UK PASSES LAW TO BRING GREENHOUSE THE UK HAS COMMITTED ITSELF
TO A NET ZERO TARGET
GAS EMISSIONS TO ‘NET ZERO’ BY 2050

A TARGET TO CUT greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 while
emissions to net zero by 2050 has remaining committed to growing the
become law, making the UK the first economy – putting clean growth at the
major economy to legislate to end its heart of our modern Industrial Strategy.”
contribution to global warming, The Net zero means any emissions
Evening Standard reports. would be balanced by greenhouse gas
Energy and Clean Growth Minister offsetting schemes, such as planting
Chris Skidmore said: “The UK kick- trees or using technology like carbon
started the Industrial Revolution, capture and storage. It was recommended by the UK’s
which was responsible for economic This would effectively balance the independent climate advisory body
growth across the globe but also for levels of the gases in the atmosphere. the Committee on Climate Change,
increasing emissions. The UK’s 2050 net zero target marks which called for the new legal target
“Today we’re leading the world a substantial shift from the previous to be brought in as soon as possible
yet again in becoming the first major target of at least 80 per cent reduction and to urgently ramp up action to
economy to pass new laws to reduce from 1990 levels by the same year. cut emissions.

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News.indd 4 18/07/2019 15:30