Polly Higgins 28.07.08 ELECTRICITY & TRANSMISSION IN EUROPE AND BEYOND Russia is running out of gas, oil is peaking globally, and energy prices are escalating. The most recent climate change science from NASA tells us that we must stabilise our carbon dioxide emissions at 350 parts per million, a figure we have already overshot with […]
Read MoreNational Grid comes out for Biogas in a big way – 50% of UK gas demand
Acording to National Grid “Renewable gas has the potential to make a significant contribution to the UK’s renewable energy and carbon reduction targets for 2020. And in the longer term, with the right government policies in place, renewable gas could meet up to 50% of UK residential gas demand. Produced mainly via a process of […]
Read MoreASA bans renewable fuels ad
The ad which claimed that biofuels were a sustainable answer to OPECs oil, was found to have breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation), 3.2 (Division of informed opinion), 7.1 (Truthfulness), 49.1, 49.2 and 49.3 (Environmental claims). The ASA said that the the ad must not appear again in its current form. ASA told RFA to remove […]
Read MoreToyota announced that it plans to start selling fuel cell vehicles in 2015
13th January. Toyota announced that it plans to start selling fuel cell vehicles in 2015. They also announced they will release a plug-in hybrid later this year and an all-electric two seater in 2012. Speaking at the North American International Auto Show Masatami Takimoto, Toyota’s executive vice president of research and development, said […]
Read More" Why Batteries Not Hydrogen Fuel Cells Are The Future Of Private Motoring" – George Wallis
Wallis’ excellent paper attempts to show why cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells are not the immediate future of private motoring, and why batteries have an important and immediate part to play. Note: (‘Nazi sharks etc.’ refers to a no doubt bad taste joke, made by James May during the recent BBC TV Top Gear show, […]
Read MoreCAP Biogas Technology To Be Installed On United Utilities Trucks
Clean Air Power Limited are converting UU’s diesel trucks at Davyhulme the sewage treatment works serving the large Northern City of Manchester, famous for its football teams, to run on dual fuel diesel-biomethane. The basic idea has been around for years, essentially methane is fed into the inlet of an ordinary diesel engine, where the […]
Read MoreThe Future Role of Hydrogen – David McGrath – M.D. of Regentech the Fuel cell and Energy Company.
The Future Role of Hydrogen – Text of presentation that was scheduled to be given at the October Claverton Conference by David McGrath – M.D. of Regentech. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I shall share my perspectives. This is how I see things based on the evidence I have available. If you like it is my […]
Read More"CO2 (equivalent) saving from short-rotation willow coppice (SRC) is ZERO" – official
DEFRA and ADAS (the UK agricultural agency) are now circulating a study comparing net GHG impacts of different bio-feedstocks which concludes that the net CO2 (equivalent) saving from short-rotation willow coppice (SRC) is ZERO because of the direct and indirect GHG emission from the fertilisers used, whereas there is near 100% CO2 (equiv) saving from Miscanthus (“elephant grass”) because it doesn’t need fertilisers. Some of the wood wastes show up to 600% CO2-equivalent net saving because of the methane emissions in the “base case” where they are put to landfill (I presume this applies to most natural forest-floor debris and dead trees). …….Chris Hodrien
Read MoreBiomethane vehicles open up green driving
UK business can now take advantage of the first mass scale second generation biofuel to be produced from waste. This is as a result of the launch in the UK of 3 brand new vehicles that have been developed by Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz to run on 100% renewable methane (biomethane)
The Volkswagen Caddy Ecofuel is ideal for companies who operate small white vans or far airport taxis who need 7 seats. The Sprinter NGT is the perfect large van, ideal for supermarkets and with thousands of applications. The Econic articulated truck is ideal for deliveries into cities and between distribution centres. All these vehicles have low environmental impact in terms of noise, NOX and particulates but it is their carbon neutrality when fuelled on biomethane that is transformational.
Read MoreBio-methane fuelled vehicles – John Baldwin CNG Services
Year 2008 may well be recognised as a turning point in the journey away from fossil fuels and this has major implications for the waste management industry. The increase in oil price to $140/bbl is the market signaling that, to use the words of Shell CEO van der Veer, ‘easy oil’ is running out. The large oil fields that have supplied the world with oil are starting to decline and new resources, such as oil sands in Canada, have much higher levels of CO2 emissions associated with their extraction.
At the same time, countries like Nigeria are capturing and liquefying the natural gas (to make LNG) that is a by product of oil production. Nigeria is forecasting LNG production of around 60 million tones per annum by 2012, bringing in around $60 billion of income – not a bad return for what was flared off as a waste product until 1999. High natural gas prices in the US are also bringing forward huge resources of ‘tight’ natural gas that are now economic to produce. Such gas needs more wells than normal gas and so requires the higher gas prices we have now – historically low natural gas prices in the US have acted to leave the ‘tight gas’ in the ground but it is now economic to bring it to market.
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