Sustainable Light Rail -Professor Lewis Lesley

October 1, 2008 / Dave Andrews / Alternative fuels, Electric vehicles, News Briefs, Transportation

By Professor Lewis Lesley – John Moore’s University.

2008 Conference Paper Synopsis: In an increasingly urbanized world most personal journeys are made in towns and cities and are relatively short, in UK 75% under 8km long. In the developed world, the motorcar dominates these trips. Car drivers will however transfer some trips to rail. Electrically powered light rail (or tramways) is an economic means for satisfying many short urban trips. Light rail can be constructed with a minimum of urban disruption and when coupled with renewable generation is energy sustainable. It also has a negative carbon footprint, when diverted car trips are included.

Biomethane as a Vehicle Fuel – It’s the Vehicles, Stupid

September 30, 2008 / Dave Andrews / 2008 papers, Alternative fuels, Biofuels, Biomethane/biogas, Digestion, Landfill, News Briefs, Transportation, Waste to energy

By John Baldwin

2008 Conference Paper Synopsis:

1. Development of NGVs 2000 to 2008
2. 3rd generation NGVs launched in Q1 2009 – VW Passat on biomethane is the world’s best car in well to wheel CO2 terms
3. Potential biogas resource – The UK’s largest 3rd generation bio-fuel
4. Production of biomethane – Clean-up technologies and costs
5. Injection of biomethane into gas grids
6. EU Renewable Energy Directive
7. UK RTFO, ROCs and renewable heat support
8. Biomethane Eco-leadership projects
9. Conclusion – it’s the vehicles stupid

Desert Rose – Fresh Water & Forest Cover

September 30, 2008 / Dave Andrews / 2008 papers, Biofuels, Biomass, Biomethane/biogas, Climate, Digestion, News Briefs, Renewables, Resources

Desert Rose – Fresh Water & Forest Cover
By Dr Richard Lawson

2008 Conference Paper Synopsis: Desert Rose is a conceptual approach to using two resources – sunlight and seawater – that coastal tropical areas have in abundance to supply two resources that are in short supply and dwindling – fresh water and forest cover. It suggests that once past a critical point, the growth in forest and water tend to become a self-propagating system. Energy costings relating to developing this concept are addressed.

IGCC plus CCS: An Objective Analysis

September 30, 2008 / Dave Andrews / CCS, Coal fired, News Briefs, Power stations

By F.Starr

2008 Conference Paper Synopsis: The paper briefly describes the technology of conventional IGCCs for electricity generation and shows how such “precombustion plants” need to be modified to capture CO2. The main difference is that the raw gas from the gasifier has to be treated to produce a fuel gas containing more than 90% hydrogen. This adds to the complexity of the plant. But the main reason why the large scale construction of such plants is unlikely in the near future is the absence of a large domestic and industrial market for hydrogen. The paper therefore advocates the production of substitute natural gas, with CO2 capture, as being a more realistic option which can use the existing infrastructure

Electricity Prices In The United Kingdom – Fundamental Drivers and Probable Trends 2008 to 2020

September 29, 2008 / Hugh Sharman / Coal fired, Electricity, Finance, Grid/blackouts, Investment, Oil, Power stations

Fundamental Drivers and Probable Trends 2008 to 2020

Hugh SharmanThe mindless and self-congratulatory drift and chatter in the UK’s energy area during the last fifteen years, in particular the last ten, has the UK sleep-walking into brown-outs and/or severe energy rationing in less time than it takes to plan, engineer, license, procure, build and commission more than 30 GW in new, “clean coal” or nuclear plant by 1st January 2016.

Some gas capacity is on its way but this will be commissioned just in time for a World gas-supply crunch, sparked by the serial failure of Indonesia to meet its Far East contractual commitments, continued decline of gas production in Russia and Canada, the cap on new LNG exports from Qatar and exports from Norway and the continued reluctance of Iran to develop any gas export business at all. Most seriously of all, for UK (and Europe), it is the deliberately contrived investment policy of Gazprom to remain very tight on upstream capacity far into the foreseeable future, while dominant in down-stream infrastructure.

An Accident Waiting to Happen – what lies behind the oil spikes.

September 24, 2008 / Chris Cook / Economics, Financial system, Investment, Oil, Resources

While the oil market survived the recent storm surge of money, the inevitability of future waves of speculative money sweeping into the market, mean that an oil market meltdown is an accident waiting to happen. To follow the US approach to regulation of oil futures markets would be to try and solve today’s problems with yesterday’s tools.

Conference Goals – Claverton Energy Group

September 10, 2008 / Dave Andrews / 2008 papers, News Briefs, Policy

To bring together numerous experts who can give numerical details of the potential scope, cost and other attributes of climate emergency, energy issues and technologies and, more importantly, how each can fit into an overall picture, for the UK, Europe and the World.

Successful 2008 Claverton Conference

September 9, 2008 / Dave Andrews / Climate

“Is There An Emerging Climate And Energy Emergency – If So What Are The Likely Solutions?” The 4th CLAVERTON ENERGY GROUP CONFERENCE was held on 24th to 26th October 2008 – The successful Conference brought together numerous experts who gave details of the potential scope, cost and other attributes of energy issues and technologies and, […]

New Zealand Fly Fishing Trips

February 20, 2008 / Admin-2 / Travel

New Zealand fly fishing trips are perceived as the “fishing adventure of a lifetime” for many anglers worldwide. When you’re planning a guided fly fishing trip to New Zealand, there are multiple excellent locations to choose from. New Zealand’s fisheries are unique, there are few places on the planet having such exceptional water clarity inhabited […]