Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: Fossil fuel

Showing posts with label Fossil fuel. Show all posts

Monday, December 6, 2010

Paks powers up for nuclear expansion

While the public debates the merits of renewables versus fossil fuels in power generation, Hungary is quietly preparing to build new units at the Paks nuclear power plant, making a significant – and carbon-free – contribution to the country's future energy supplies.

The state-owned Paks nuclear plant, Hungary's largest power plant with 2,000 MW generation capacity, plans to at least double its capacity by adding two new units in the 2020s. If the project clears financial, regulatory and political hurdles in the coming years, it may help Hungary achieve a sustainable and competitive energy mix.

More at:
http://bbjonline.hu/?col=1004&id=55109

Monday, November 22, 2010

CO2-Free Energy Can Meet Global Energy Needs In 2050

Danish wind and biomass resources in particular will make it possible to phase out fossil fuels in connection with power generation and heat production before 2040. It will take further 10 years to eliminate fossil fuels within the transport sector.

by Staff Writers Copenhagen, Denmark (SPX) Nov 22, 2010 Riso Energy Report 9 lists a wide range of energy technologies in the market with low or no emissions of greenhouse gases, describing how several of these will be made commercially available in the next decades. However, it is not possible to make the world's energy supply CO2-free as cheaply as possible, using only technology development in the current energy systems.
There must be room for technological leaps and there is a need for an integrated process to optimise the entire energy system, from energy production, through transformation into energy carriers, to energy transportation and distribution and efficient end use.
There is also a need for a smart grid, connecting production and end use at local level. End users should contribute to maintain balance in the future energy system and new technologies should be introduced to the end users, including houses with low and flexible consumption, smart electronic equipment, heat pumps, energy storage and local energy supplies such as solar cells and micro CHP.
Information and communication technology (ICT) will determine how successful the integration of renewables into the grid actually will be.
Considering the security of supply in the short and long term, there is still a need for access to fossil fuels, but they must be continuously replaced with renewable energy sources. If we do not make efforts to promote renewable energy sources, coal and gas might easily be prevailing in the global energy supply for the rest of this century.
For many countries, however, it could be advantageous to switch to renewable energy sources in order to reduce dependence on imported oil and gas. In addition, this transition can help the countries achieve their environmental policy goals.
Seen in isolation, Denmark has a great chance for achieving these goals and for phasing out fossil fuels at a rapid pace and thus reduce emissions of greenhouse gases at the required pace.
Danish wind and biomass resources in particular will make it possible to phase out fossil fuels in connection with power generation and heat production before 2040. It will take further 10 years to eliminate fossil fuels within the transport sector.
A future smart energy system requires that we start investments now. If we do not make these investments, future generations will look back on this period wondering how we could be satisfied with an outdated energy system, without taking advantage of the opportunities which we already were aware of.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Biofuels Fallacy: Why Burning Plants Instead of Fossil Fuels Won't Save the Climate The quest to replace black fuels with green fuels is just another resource and land grab by big corporations.

Biofuels Fallacy: Why Burning Plants Instead of Fossil Fuels Won't Save the Climate

The quest to replace black fuels with green fuels is just another resource and land grab by big corporations. READ MORE

Jeff Conant: You and your colleagues at ETC Group are strong advocates of taking what I would call a reasoned approach to the deployment of new technologies; you're best known for having led the charge for a global ban on the infamous Terminator Seed, and you've just had a tremendous victory by winning a global moratorium on geoengineering experiments (see last week's piece on AlterNet). Now, you're releasing a report on another impending technological concern: synthetic biology.

Jim Thomas: The report is called "The New Biomassters: Synthetic Biology and the Next Assault on Biodiversity and Livelihoods." It's an exposé and argument against the new "bioeconomy" most OECD countries are now promoting as the next (supposedly "green") wave of industrial production -- switching from fossil fuels to biological material (biomass) as the key feedstock of the economy. As such, it encompasses biofuels, burning biomass for electricity, and using biomass for chemicals, plastics and other materials formerly sourced from petroleum. More at:

http://www.alternet.org/story/148736/biofuels_fallacy%3A_why_burning_plants_instead_of_fossil_fuels_won%27t_save_the_climate

Biofuel worse for climate than fossil fuel: study

European plans to promote biofuels will drive farmers to convert 69,000 square km of wild land into fields and plantatons, depriving the poor of food and accelerating climate change, a report warned on Monday.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=biofuel-worse-for-climate-than-foss

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Nuclear Socialism Energy subsidies—of any kind—are bad business

Here’s a principled alternative: Reverse the energy subsidy arms-race. Don’t add subsidies; subtract them. Take markets seriously. Not just for nuclear and fossil fuels but for all so-called “clean” technologies, head toward zero energy subsidies, free enterprise, risk-based credit pricing, competition on merit, cheaper energy services, greater energy security, and dwindling deficits.
Who wouldn’t like that? Why don’t we find out?

Amory B. Lovins is chairman and chief scientist of the independent, apolitical, nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute (www.rmi.org). He uses Doug Koplow’s subsidy analyses at www.earthtrack.net.http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/nuclear-socialism_508830.html

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

India predicts 40% leap in demand for fossil fuels

Premier Manmohan Singh told India's energy firms on Monday to scour the globe for fuel supplies as he warned the country's demand for fossil fuels is set to soar 40 percent over the next decade.
http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-11-india-demand-fossil-fuels.html

Friday, October 22, 2010

Baker Institute studies wind, fossil fuel power generation

Posted on 10/20/2010
US wind power generating capacity primarily has displaced natural gas-fired generation so far, yet a recent study by the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University concludes that increased wind-generation capacity is likely to result in more investment in gas-fired generation capacity.

“A number of studies have shown that the expansion of wind has thus far displaced natural gas more than coal,” said a study entitled “Wind Power in the United States: Prospects and Consequences” by Peter R. Hartley, a Rice economics professor and scholar of energy economics for the Baker Institute.

But he sees this as being a short-term situation because gas is a good complement to renewable sources that are highly variable.

“In the longer run, the intermittency of wind and the fact that wind generation satisfies base-load demand more than intermediate or peaking loads should discourage investment in base-load coal and nuclear capacity,” he said.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

New Kind of Uranium Could Power Your Car Nuclear power may go portable with this new form of uranium.

Study: New uranium compound holds nuclear, petroleum breakthroughs
A form of uranium discovered by scientists from the Los Alamos National Laboratory may be utilized as a safer and less expensive nuclear fuel. The new molecule also draws a greater amount of energy from fossil fuels. "Actinide nitrides are candidate nuclear fuels of the future. But they can also break carbon-hydrogen bonds, which are very strong," said Jaqueline Kiplinger, one of the scientists involved in the study. Discover
yhttp://news.discovery.com/tech/uranium-nuclear-power.html

Monday, October 4, 2010

Navy: Alternative fuel needed for security

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only

by Staff Writers Phoenix (UPI) Oct 1, 2010 The U.S. military represents a huge market for companies that can develop low-cost renewable fuels, said a U.S. Navy official. By 2020, the Navy aims to meet half of its energy needs for ships and planes with renewable energy sources, requiring some 8 million barrels of biofuel.
"That represents a pretty formidable market," Rear Adm. Philip Hart Cullom, director of the Navy's Energy and Environmental Readiness Division told the Algae Biomass Summit in Phoenix, The Arizona Republic newspaper reports.
About 600 industry leaders from 27 countries participated in the annual conference this week, which focused on the potential for algae to meet environmental, economic and energy challenges.
Cullom said the sector, as it works to develop alternative fuels, can help reduce the military's reliance on foreign oil.
Cullom recounted how in 2008, as oil prices shot up, the Navy saw its annual fuel costs soar to $5.1 billion from $1.2 billion the previous year.
"That meant about $4 billion less of something else that you were not able to buy," he said.
Retired Vice Adm. Dennis McGinn, a leading expert on the link between energy, climate change and international security, told the group of their significant role in national security.
"I am saying that we need you for our national security. The United States armed forces need this industry to succeed ... we need to recognize that the potential that algal biofuels have for the future is fantastic," said McGinn, a news release states.
Cullom acknowledged that he expects biofuels to remain costlier than traditional fossil fuels for some time.
Last September, the Defense Energy Support Center, which oversees procurement of biofuel for the Navy, paid $2.7 million for 40,000 gallons of camelina-based fuel. That came to about $67.50 per gallon, compared to the typical cost of about $2.94 per gallon for its standard fuel, JP-5.
In April, on Earth Day, the Navy conducted its first test flight of a F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet powered by alternative fuel, in this case half-camelina oil. Navy officials said the exercise, deemed a success, was intended to demonstrate the Navy's commitment to reducing its dependence on foreign oil as well as safeguarding the environment.
The Navy said it would continue to test the biofuel-powered Super Hornet over about 14 more flights, then move on to testing alternative fuels in the marine gas turbines that power many surface ships as well as engines of U.S. Marine Corps ground vehicles.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

China's latest new reactor

Concrete pouring cranes arc over the ceremony (Image: CGNPC)

A ceremony last week saw the official start of work on Ningde 3, the 21st nuclear project underway in China.

The reactor joined two others at Ningde as officially under construction on 8 January, while approval for unit 4 as the last of Phase I build was signed off by officials at the same time.

Addressing 500 people at the 'first concrete' ceremony, general manager of the Ningde Nuclear Power Company Li Yinong said the power plant would avoid the use of 12 million tonnes of coal per year. He said this equates to a saving of 27 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, compared to using the fossil fuel.

Li's firm is a project company to manage the construction and later operate the reactors. It is 51% owned by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Company with Datang International Power Generation and Fujian Coal Group taking the balance of equity.

All four Ningde units are of the CPR1000 design of pressurized water reactor, which produces 1080 MWe. Work on unit 1 started in February 2008 and has now reached the point of containment dome installation. Unit 2 began in November 2008 and was said to be at the peak of works. The construction of unit 4 is to start in mid-July this year. They will all come online between late 2012 and 2015.

With the addition of two reactors in Phase II, six reactors are eventually for the site, which spans three islands near Fuding city in Fujian province.

China's drive for localisation of nuclear technology has reached a new peak with this project, CGNPC reported. Some 80% of components for Ningde 3 will be sourced from Chinese suppliers, including for the first time the entire digital control system.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Nuclear 'key' to Britain's energy future, says Centrica's Roger Carr Roger Carr, chairman of Centrica, has warned that Britain has to wake up to its future reliance on nuclear energy if it wants "to keep the lights on".

Carr: Nuclear should be part of U.K. long-term energy mix
The U.K. needs nuclear power as it shifts from carbon-intensive fossil fuels to newer types of energy, said Roger Carr, chairman of Centrica. Nuclear will help the country achieve its "lights-on requirement" and "decarbonization commitment," Carr said. "Without nuclear, I think one would never say impossible, but I would say [it would be] an incredible challenge [to meet those two requirements]." Telegraph (London)http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/8010829/Nuclear-key-to-Britains-energy-future-says-Centricas-Roger-Carr.html

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Study: Worst CO2 emissions are yet to come

image credit: kleineolive (Wikimedia Commons)

Future fossil fuel infrastructure set to be built between now and 2060 will have the strongest effect on climate change, according to a report in the journal Science.
The global demand for energy is quickly rising, while political agreements and regulations to curb the resultant rise in greenhouse gas emissions have so far failed.
A new study from scientists in the US and Canada has calculated that most of the ‘key’ impacts of climate change could be avoided if no further CO2 power plants were built and that the real risks come from fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure which has yet to be built.
While previous policies have largely focused on regulating greenhouse gas emissions, a tactic that has so far not produced their desired results, the new study stresses the need for alternative sources of energy and technological innovation.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The US Power Sector is Changing -- Even Without a Climate Bill

Now that the climate bill is in hibernation, it would be easy to despair that the US power sector will resume its tradition of burning high-polluting coal to sell increasing amounts of electricity.

Fossil Fuels to Reign for Decades, Says Saudi Aramco President

Fossil Fuels to Reign for Decades, Says Saudi Aramco President

Saudi Aramco President and CEO Khalid Al-Falih told the World Energy Congress in Montreal that the growth of renewable energy sources would be "slow and uneven" and that traditional fossil fuels would remain the predominant energy source for the next 40 years, the Montreal Gazette reported. Al-Falih was quoted as saying: "The world will continue to rely on traditional fossil fuels for most of its energy needs for the coming decades. These energy sources - namely coal, oil and natural gas - are expected to account for about four out of every five units of energy that mankind will consume for the foreseeable future." Al Falih said Saudi Arabia has oil reserves enough to last for 80 years of sustained production and that the country planned to increase its current reserves of 260 billion barrels by 40 percent, Arab News reported.

Xinhua News Agency quoted Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser as saying: "Worldwide, there's now enough technically recoverable gas in the ground for 250 years ... at current production rates." Voser said Royal Dutch Shell has taken measures to protect groundwater during hydraulic fracturing to recover gas from shale. He said: "But let's also remember that energy is the lifeblood of civilization. Whether we like it or not, producing energy ... and delivering it to billions of customers around the world comes with certain risks."

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Duke Energy may retire aging coal-fired facilities

Duke Energy may shut down seven coal-fired units in the Carolinas within five years as the federal government strengthens rules for coal ash and toxic mercury emissions. Closing down the facilities can be less expensive than installing pollution controls. The company will also proceed with building a nuclear plant in Gaffney, S.C., which is expected to come online in 2020. The Charlotte Observer (N.C.)

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Nuclear safety remains issue

Opinion: Public needs assurance that new nuclear plants are safe

The Tennessee Valley Authority is boosting nuclear-power production while shutting down some of its coal-fired facilities, signaling a new era, writes John Peck. Nuclear can be more economical when weighed against the costs of plants running on fossil fuels. But, the public needs to know the latest wave of reactors will be safe, he writes. The Huntsville Times (Ala.)