UK government in grave danger of using common sense! Carbon capture and storage MIGHT become a policy focus – rather than “ban hydrocarbons” like some mentally challenged child
Although still using the term “fossil fuels” to describe oil and gas, and still referring to the puerile slogan of “Net Zero”, the UK’s energy minister actually voiced some of the most sensible words of any ruling politician in the world last Wednesday.
Britain’s Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Graham Stuart “We want to get the maximum ambition but what you’ve got to remember here is that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with oil and gas, it is the emissions from that which are the critical point,”
I’ve often wondered why our best and brightest have not come up with some way to capture vehicle exhaust and recycle it. The technology to do that can’t be that difficult, given the incredible engineering skills that go into efficient engine design.
From here:
“An independent report highlighted significant economic benefits attributed to carbon capture, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's stance is defended ahead of COP28.”
From that report “In March 2023, the government announced the first successful CCS projects to be taken forward into the negotiation phase. These eight projects were selected across the Teesside and Merseyside region.”
Who’d have “thunk” it? A government not wedded to “ok people, listen to demented teenagers, back to being serfs and living in mud huts”.
Referencing this 24 page report from Development Economics Ltd and commissioned by Drax Group:
Development-Economics-UK-Cluster-Report-October-23.pdf (drax.com)
The report is titled “UK CLUSTER POTENTIAL - HOW THE UK CAN LEAD THE WORLD IN CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE” - CCS
Again, there is that misuse of terms “Carbon Capture”, which, along with “Carbon Footprint” are misnomers. The misplaced goal of the climate chicken littles is not carbon ©, it is the colourless, odourless gas that is essential for all life on the planet – CARBON DIOZIDE – CO2.
Anyway, aside from mislabelling the cause and the effect, what we may be witnessing is PROGRESS.
Rather than impoverishing and embedding toxic eyesores of vast plantations of solar panels and forests of windmills on land and sea – switch to capturing and storing emissions!
Those emissions of CO2 especially could be used to grow lots of nice fruit and vegetables and feed lots of tasty animals that produce lots of tasty dairy products – perhaps in some places like the Sahara desert. Actually, burning methane (CH4 + 2O2) produces plant food (CO2 and water, 2H2O) – a methane molecule plus a couple of oxygen molecules yields a carbon dioxide molecule and a couple of water molecules).
The Epoch Times article reports on the UK Governments emphasis on carbon capture (not so much storage or recycling into productive use – “fume fracking”? – but here are a few extracts from the Development Economics Ltd paper.
“.. expanding the role of the UK Infrastructure Bank in relation to facilitating private investment in CCS”
“.. incentive for prospective storage operators to appraise storage locations..”
“.. additional government measures to boost R&D”
“.. recruitment and training of a sizeable workforce”
Okay, still wedded to the spend, spend, spend by Government model. Personally, I would offer incentives to the private sector like prizes related to the size of the profits made, but, hey, the UK is almost a full blown socialist state with high taxes, lots of government spending and idiot politicians, so this is at least nibbling away at that by spending on areas that make sense rather than lunatic 15 minute city policies or ultra low emission zones. Just imagine if there was an equivalent of carbon capture and storage for the exhaust from vehicles – there would be a massive collapse in revenues for cities like London!
Back to selected extracts from the report from Development Economics Ltd.
“.. several routeways available for carbon capture..”
“.. capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil power generation and industrial processes for storage deep underground or re-use.”
“.. capturing and permanently storing carbon dioxide (CO2) generated during the production of energy from sustainable biomass.”
“.. Direct air capture and storage (DACCS) extracts CO2 directly from the atmosphere using either liquid or solid sorbents..” .. “demands vast amounts of low carbon power to operate.”
£.. Blue hydrogen production involves producing hydrogen from natural gas through steam reforming and storing the resulting carbon dioxide emissions.”
Apparently, the UK has lots of natural storage “sumps” for the storage of CO2, onshore and offshore,
Hey, maybe CO2 could be combined with hydrogen, reverse engineered and turned back into fuel!!!
Now, about those vehicle emissions and the possibility of a little, detachable box that can capture vehicle exhaust fumes which can maybe, just maybe, be put to good use!
Onwards!
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My chemical engineer mate says carbon capture is possible but actual sequestration is prohibitively expensive and hasn't yet been done on a commercial scale anywhere. Many have tried so just another thought bubble inside a pipe dream.
Common sense in government would be a culture shock of the first order