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To the Editor of Professional Engineer |
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Written by Paul Spare F
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Monday, 16 October 2006 |
Dear Editor,
A few weeks ago, a letter of mine was published asking for information
from any members who might be working on carbon dioxide capture/
disposal projects. In the absence of any response, I have continued to
investigate and have made some very significant discoveries.
Apparently, Norway has permitted the injection of up to one million
tons per year of CO2 into oil strata to increase oil and gas yields,
without much CO2 escaping. It certainly produces more fossil fuels to
create more carbon dioxide emissions. This practice is apparently
lawful.
However, according to information supplied by the DTI and IPCC, carbon
sequestration under the seabed, merely for disposal, is forbidden under
the London Dumping and OSPAR Conventions. If this is true - and if it
would take at least 10 years to change the Law, according to the DTI -
why is it that carbon sequestration in the UK is being held out as
an acceptable, practical solution to the problem of global
warming?
The IEA has published a disposal cost for CO2 a couple of decades hence
of £15-30 per tonne. If applied to the power sector, to reduce CO2
emissions by 60%, it would run away with £3.6bn a year and all-in the
cost of the operation could be about £5bn. That would increase
electricity bills by anything from 50 to 100%.
Paul Spare F |
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