Friday 06 Jun 2008 @ 15:14
Yorkshire Forward
Yorkshire Forward
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Yorkshire Bids to Reduce UK Carbon Emissions
Yorkshire and Humber is home to some of the country’s largest power plants, and has long held a reputation as the powerhouse of the UK.
The region has a unique opportunity to become a UK – and global leader – in tackling climate change. Up to 60 million tonnes of the carbon emissions produced each year by burning fossil fuels could be liquefied then pumped out to depleted gas fields under the North Sea.
Led by Yorkshire Forward and some of the UK’s largest energy and industrial companies, including Corus, Scottish and Southern Energy, Powerfuel Power Ltd , BP, ConocoPhillips, E.ON UK and Drax Power Ltd and AMEC, who also produced the study, showing how a unique Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) network for the region could be developed, was released today.
Head of Sustainable Development at Yorkshire Forward, Mike Smith, believes that Yorkshire and Humber’s unique geography and experience of dealing with the environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels makes the region an ideal candidate location to develop CCS.
He explains; “Climate change is real and is affecting businesses and communities all over the world, so it is vital that we develop new approaches to help us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“But it is equally important that we are realistic and the fact is that Yorkshire and Humber produces a huge amount of carbon emissions each year – largely from the energy intensive industry that helps keeps the lights on all over the country.
“We can’t stop using fossil fuels all together, but what we can look to do is develop the assets that already exist and new infrastructure to bury carbon dioxide deep under the sea where it can’t escape into the atmosphere.”
The study shows how a network could evolve using existing and new infrastructure in the region to connect major producers of carbon emissions. These emissions would then be liquefied and pumped out to depleted gas fields in the southern North Sea - where the properties of the rock deep under the sea would prevent the carbon dioxide from escaping.
Costs for the network are predicted to be in excess of £2 billion at today’s prices and would take 20 years to develop fully. However, the potential impact on the UK’s carbon footprint is huge.
Smith explains; “If the current level of industrial use of fossil fuels continues then we are looking at being able to store up to 320 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030 and potentially 1500 million tonnes by 2050.”
Yorkshire Forward is supporting the Powerfuel Power Ltd entry in the Government’s CCS demonstrator competition.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "This unique regional initiative is a high priority for the TUC's clean coal task group and shows others that it is possible to make cleaner energy a reality. Capturing the region's carbon emissions on this scale will make a major contribution to the UK's target of reducing its carbon footprint by one-third by 2020.
"The huge investment needed in the new cleaner energy technology will create hundreds of new jobs in the region and the CO2 pipeline will help secure jobs - especially in local steel and power plants. The local economy will also benefit from inward investment as companies from across the UK come to see the North Sea beds off the Yorkshire coastline as the place where industrial CO2 can be safely captured and stored. That's why we are calling on the Government to throw its weight behind this worthwhile initiative that could have a huge global significance on the fight against the damaging impact of climate change."
Alastair Rennie, Project Director, AMEC Power and Process stated: “The system has been designed using established best practice for pipelines and applies UK regulations. We have had initial discussions with the Health and Safety Executive with regard to the development of a CCS network, and will continue to seek their advice as work develops.”
Notes to editors:
The region has a unique opportunity to become a UK – and global leader – in tackling climate change. Up to 60 million tonnes of the carbon emissions produced each year by burning fossil fuels could be liquefied then pumped out to depleted gas fields under the North Sea.
Led by Yorkshire Forward and some of the UK’s largest energy and industrial companies, including Corus, Scottish and Southern Energy, Powerfuel Power Ltd , BP, ConocoPhillips, E.ON UK and Drax Power Ltd and AMEC, who also produced the study, showing how a unique Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) network for the region could be developed, was released today.
Head of Sustainable Development at Yorkshire Forward, Mike Smith, believes that Yorkshire and Humber’s unique geography and experience of dealing with the environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels makes the region an ideal candidate location to develop CCS.
He explains; “Climate change is real and is affecting businesses and communities all over the world, so it is vital that we develop new approaches to help us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“But it is equally important that we are realistic and the fact is that Yorkshire and Humber produces a huge amount of carbon emissions each year – largely from the energy intensive industry that helps keeps the lights on all over the country.
“We can’t stop using fossil fuels all together, but what we can look to do is develop the assets that already exist and new infrastructure to bury carbon dioxide deep under the sea where it can’t escape into the atmosphere.”
The study shows how a network could evolve using existing and new infrastructure in the region to connect major producers of carbon emissions. These emissions would then be liquefied and pumped out to depleted gas fields in the southern North Sea - where the properties of the rock deep under the sea would prevent the carbon dioxide from escaping.
Costs for the network are predicted to be in excess of £2 billion at today’s prices and would take 20 years to develop fully. However, the potential impact on the UK’s carbon footprint is huge.
Smith explains; “If the current level of industrial use of fossil fuels continues then we are looking at being able to store up to 320 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030 and potentially 1500 million tonnes by 2050.”
Yorkshire Forward is supporting the Powerfuel Power Ltd entry in the Government’s CCS demonstrator competition.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "This unique regional initiative is a high priority for the TUC's clean coal task group and shows others that it is possible to make cleaner energy a reality. Capturing the region's carbon emissions on this scale will make a major contribution to the UK's target of reducing its carbon footprint by one-third by 2020.
"The huge investment needed in the new cleaner energy technology will create hundreds of new jobs in the region and the CO2 pipeline will help secure jobs - especially in local steel and power plants. The local economy will also benefit from inward investment as companies from across the UK come to see the North Sea beds off the Yorkshire coastline as the place where industrial CO2 can be safely captured and stored. That's why we are calling on the Government to throw its weight behind this worthwhile initiative that could have a huge global significance on the fight against the damaging impact of climate change."
Alastair Rennie, Project Director, AMEC Power and Process stated: “The system has been designed using established best practice for pipelines and applies UK regulations. We have had initial discussions with the Health and Safety Executive with regard to the development of a CCS network, and will continue to seek their advice as work develops.”
Notes to editors:
- Over the past year, Yorkshire Forward has created and safeguarded more than 22,254 new jobs; helped create and attract more than 1067 new businesses, assisted 60,005 people in skills, and attracted £467m in investment - achieving or exceeding all of the targets it was set.
- Yorkshire Forward’s investment across the region is maximised by attracting European Regional Development Funding from the Objective One and Two programmes.
- For further information, please contact Janice Crich, Press Officer, Yorkshire Forward, Tel 0113 394 9715; e-mail janice.crich@yorkshire-forward.com or Fax 0113 243 1088.
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