CCS and sustainability in UK energy mix, meeting Edinburgh 7 July 06

Climate change is real, but the acceptable limits of fossil fuel emissions are uncertain. The effects on oceans may be terminal, with unknown consequences for humans. The UK Government promises to place the climate agenda at the centre of all actions. Sweden anticipates oil freedom by 2021, Norway is world leader in CO2 geo-storage, Canada is world leader the construction of full-size low CO2 coal power stations, Germany has 20-100 x more power from diverse renewables than the UK. By contrast, UK CO2 emissions are rising, sales of aviation fuel increase, and nuclear electicity renewal dominates news media (and potentially, expenditure) to reduce just 8% of CO2, whilst renewables and CCS languish with lower-tier Government funding, and lack of immediate business or industrial value.

This meeting follows on from the UK Energy Centre annual assembly, and brings speakers from leading national positions, who can provide perspectives on sucess, failure, and future pathways. Will the UK be a leader in climate stabilisation? Or is that moment about to pass?

The focus is on CCS (carbon capture and storage). This is a suite of technologies to capture CO2 at power stations and other concentrated sources, liquify and transport the CO2, and inject into rock pores deep below ground. The Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change produced a special report on CCS in 2005, where a worldwide analysis showed that CCS could halve CO2 emissions by 2050. The UK has claim to a world-class opportunity for CCS, utlising reservoirs deep beneath the North Sea. Will technology, industry, and Government enable this opportunity to be taken?

Sponsors

Programme

9:15 Welcome and overview Stuart Haszeldine (UKERC, Univ Edinburgh)

Climate and Environment
9:30 Predicting Future Climate Change; David Frame, Oxford University Centre for the Environment
9:50 Effects of CO2 increase on oceans; Carol Turley, Plymouth Marine Laboratory - Head of biogeochemistry
10:10 Climate change, EU policy, and energy security; Jason Anderson, Institute for European Environmental Policy
10:30 Questions to speakers panel and Discussion: what is the climate telling us?
11:00 tea

CCS - existing experience
11:30 CCS in Canada, experience, sources, uses and storage; Malcolm Wilson (Director of CO2 management, Energy Inet, Alberta)
11:50 CCS and Enhanced Oil Recovery: developing Norwegian value; Aage Stangeland , Bellona Foundation, EU zero emission power FP7
12:10 Questions to speakers panel and Discussion: what is needed, what is achievable?
13:00 Lunch

Future propositions
14:00 CCS linked to Enhanced Oil Recovery on the UKCS, problems and opportunities; Lewis Gillies, (Managing Director, Hydrogen Power, BP Alternative Energy)
14:20 Storage leakage, monitoring and verification; Dr A.K.(Tony) Booer (Schlumberger Carbon Services, Abingdon)
14:40 Bio-fuels for co-firing: assessing the Carbon budget and environmental cost; Richard Tipper (Director, Energy for Sustainable Development Ltd)
15:00 CCS developments in China; Jon Gibbins (IC, London)
15:20 Questions to speakers panel and Discussion: what are the "sustainable" features of EOR and bio-fuels?
16:00 Close and summary; Stuart Haszeldine (Edinburgh), Jon Gibbins, Imperial

Authors have agreed to their presentations being mounted on the www after the event, and a short report has been posted at the Meeting Place web page