Page 8 - Gi_November2020

industry & Government news

BRITAIN’S OIL AND GAS of the North Sea, which produced 10.4

million tonnes and 1.4 million tonnes of
CO₂ respectively in the same year.
RIGS MOST POLLUTING IN waters released three million tonnes
The report found that oil rigs in UK
of carbon through routine “flaring”
NORTH SEA, SAYS REPORT of unwanted gas totalling billions of
cubic feet.
Another 10.1 million tonnes of CO₂
were released in large part because
the industry regulator, the Oil and Gas
Authority (OGA), continues to allow
oil producers to run their rigs on fossil
fuels, according to Rystad.
These figures suggest that the UK emits
21kg of carbon dioxide for every barrel of
North Sea oil produced, compared to only
8kg of CO₂ in Norway, where oil producers
run their rigs on renewable energy.
This could hold serious implications
for the UK’s carbon targets if oil
production from the UKCS is allowed to
rebound by 25 per cent in the 2030s in
line with forecasts by Rystad.
The figures have emerged eight years
after the World Bank warned nations
that global gas flaring contributes
as much to climate crisis as a major
GAS FLARING IS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR economy such as Italy.
TO THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS Hedvig Ljungerud, the OGA’s
Director of Strategy, said the regulator
BRITAIN’S OIL AND gas rigs are the in the UK continental shelf (UKCS) was “looking to take a robust stance
most polluting in the North Sea oil released 13.1 million tonnes of carbon on flaring”, which is carried out with
basin, according to industry data, with dioxide emissions into the atmosphere consent from the OGA, only weeks
enough unwanted gas burned off every last year, according to data from Rystad after it had outlined plans to call for
year to heat a million homes. Energy, significantly more than those the industry to run their rigs on power
The Guardian reports that oil rigs from the Norwegian and Danish regions generated by nearby wind turbines.

WORLD’S FIRST COMMERCIAL-GRADE HYDROGEN PLANE TAKES FLIGHT IN UK

THE FIRST FLIGHT of a hydrogen- Zero Avia’s hydrogen plane project, efficient electric aircraft components,
powered, commercial-grade aircraft has called HyFly, with £5.3 million to high performance engines and wing
been successfully completed in Bedford. date. Business and Industry Minister designs intended to minimise fuel
Conducted by Zero Avia, the Nadhim Zahawi called the test flight consumption. This commitment is
flight saw a six-seater plane using “another exciting milestone” for the matched by £200 million from the
hydrogen as its primary power source UK’s low carbon aviation space. private sector.
completing taxi, takeoff, a full pattern “It shows that technologies to clean
circuit and landing, reports edie. up air travel are now at our fingertips
Inside the Piper M-class plane, - with enormous potential to build
compressed hydrogen gas is fed back better and drive clean economic
into hydrogen fuel cells, where it is growth in the UK,” Zahawi said.
combined with oxygen from the air in a The government is notably
process that produces water as well as convening a Jet Zero Council of
electricity. The hydrogen is supplied by ministers, businesses, trade bodies
green gas producer EMEC Hydrogen. and environmental groups on a
The successful test flight brings the collaborative mission to align the
model one step closer to commercial aviation sector with the 2050 net
viability for short-haul journeys such zero target. In its short-term stimulus
as London to Edinburgh. Zero Avia will measures to combat the economic
now seek to complete a 250-mile flight impacts of Covid-19, the Department
from its base in Cranfield to Orkney, for Transport has allocated £200
Scotland, by the end of the year. million to projects developing
The UK government has backed sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), energy THE ZERO AVIA FLIGHT

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