Tag Archives: report
New Report Claims UK Able To Achieve Zero Carbon With Renewable Energy
23 July 2013 The Center for Alternative Technology has released an update to its Zero Carbon Britain scenario, which shows that the UK can reduce carbon emissions with existing technology. The research shows that by making changes to our buildings, transport systems and behaviour, and by investing in a variety of renewable energy generation technologies suited to the UK (without a nuclear component), the UK can provide a reliable zero carbon energy supply without negatively impacting on quality of life. Smart demand management, plus the intelligent use of surplus electricity in combination with biomass to create carbon neutral synthetic gas and liquid fuels, means that that the UK can meet its entire energy demand without imports, and also provide for some transport and industrial processes that cannot run on electricity. In the scenario the biomass we require is provided by growing second generation energy crops on UK land. The UK’s cropland is still used for food production, and we produce the vast majority of the food required to provide for the UK population on home soil. The research suggests that by changing what we eat (mainly a significant reduction in meat and dairy products, coupled with increases in various other food sources) means we eat a more healthy and balanced diet than we do today while our agricultural system emits fewer greenhouse gases and uses less land both at home and abroad, thus decreasing the environmental impact of our food production globally. The scenario balances out some greenhouse gas emissions that cannot currently be eliminated from non-energy processes (industry, waste and agriculture) by using safe, sustainable and reliable methods of capturing carbon. The research showed that by restoring important habitats such as peatland, and by substantially expanding forested areas, we not only capture carbon but also provide wood products for buildings and infrastructure, rich environments for biodiversity and more natural spaces for all of us to enjoy. The research also highlights the need for further research on adaptation, economic transition and policy that would achieve sufficient greenhouse gas emissions reductions quickly and equitably. Continue reading
New Report Analyzes Opportunities in European Biomass and Biogas Power Market
Published on July 5, 2013 at 8:19 AM Europe’s aim to produce 20 percent of its total power from renewable sources by 2020 will sustain the region’s biomass and biogas power market. Although biomass and biogas installed capacity will widen as a new wave of coal-to-biomass power plant conversions gains momentum, year-on-year revenue growth is likely to decrease. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Opportunities in the Biomass and Biogas Power Market in Europe, finds that the market earned revenues of euro 3.33 billion in 2012 and estimates this to reach euro 3.77 billion in 2017. “Biopower plants are increasingly preferred as a source for large-scale power generation owing to their low capital requirements,” said Frost & Sullivan Energy and Environmental Research Analyst Ashay Abbhi. “Their efficiency, longer operational times, and reliability further boost their popularity over other sources of renewable power generation.” While advances in biomass and biogas power generation will be vital to Europe achieving its ambitious 2020 target, deteriorating economic conditions in the continent have limited market expansion. Countries have cut down or even stopped subsidies for power generation from biomass and biogas, jeopardising the prospects of plant owners. The lack of steady raw material supply in the region poses another challenge. High-demand customers are willing to pay more to keep their power plants running, which triggers a rise in feedstock and equipment prices, affecting profitability. The withdrawal of government incentive schemes further dampens revenues. “Government support is necessary for technology development, especially as constant innovation will enable a reduction in capital expenditure,” observed Abbhi. “For now, the conversion of coal power plants to biomass plants will be the strongest market trend as it requires far less investment than setting up a greenfield biopower plant.” Going forward, the Western European biopower market, which is dominated by countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom, will slowly give way to opportunities in the developing Central and Eastern Europe markets. Poland is expected to be a hotspot in this region. Source: http://www.frost.com Continue reading
Trees Best Left To Generate Carbon Credits
Taxpayers are losing money on native forest logging in NSW. It makes better financial sense for the native forests of southern NSW to remain un-logged and left to generate carbon credits, a new report suggests. NSW taxpayers would be able to generate carbon abatement, conservatively valued at about $222 million over the next 2½ decades, and use some of the money to fully compensate timber companies, according to the analysis by think tank The Australia Institute. The NSW government disagrees, saying the report is based on an unrealistically high carbon price. Cut carbon not trees. Photo: Michele Mossop Taxpayers are presently losing money on native forest logging. ”Stopping harvesting and using the native forests of the Southern Forestry Region to generate carbon credits offers a viable alternative to commercial forestry,” the report said, citing public data about the profitability of all current logging operations, government subsidies, and company tax received from logging corporations. The NSW government has reviewed the report, but said it used incorrect assumptions. “One such error identified is the assumed net financial benefits from carbon sale quoted at $222 million,” a spokeswoman for Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson said. ”This estimate is over-inflated and based on a carbon price of $9 increasing at 2.5 per cent real from 2015, where in reality the carbon price is likely to be around $5 flat.” While most sawmillers turn small profits, the industry overall loses money, and the losses are largely borne by the government-run Forestry Corporation of NSW. The details of their contracts remain commercial-in-confidence, but net losses via subsidies between now and 2033 are estimated to be about $77 million. ”Under current and likely future market conditions, the harvesting and processing of native logs in the Southern Forestry Region is likely to generate substantial losses, and the aggregate net financial benefits are likely to be significantly higher if commercial harvesting is stopped and the native forests … are used to generate carbon credits,” the report said. The main glitch in the proposal is that native forestry logging operations are not yet eligible to generate carbon credits under the federal government’s Carbon Farming Initiative. However, both the government and the federal opposition have said they intend to expand the scheme soon. ”The growth in eucalypt plantations has been massive, and these are now coming online and muscling in on native forest logging,” said the report’s co-author, Andrew MacIntosh, associate director of the Centre for Climate Law and Policy at the Australian National University. Read more: http://www.smh.com.a…l#ixzz2Ye9Nl6LU Continue reading
