On 11 April a group of academics submitted a 5-page letter to the Secretary of State, Ed Miliband, expressing their concerns about carbon capture. Some will agree. However, we consider that several of the statements are factually wrong. For example, the accusation that CO2 geological storage leaks. This is not borne out by any evidence. Simply not true.
Separately, there is an accusation that carbon capture could be used as an excuse by the fossil fuel industry to keep extracting, burning, and emitting. That is contradicted by years of closures of coal-fuelled power plants in the UK, which, after 142 years, ended on 30th September 2024 with the closure of the last coal-fuelled power plant at Ratcliffe-on-Soar. And a separate decision by the UK Supreme Court that Environmental Audits for fossil fuel developments onshore and offshore will need to account for the effects of emissions from the fossil fuels they burn.
The letter also claims that using natural gas to make “blue” hydrogen will release tens of million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. It's true that importing liquified natural gas (LNG) in shipping tankers does incur a large energy penalty of about 20% to liquify and transport the gas. But this can be disincentivised by the UK enacting a Carbon Border Tax, or a mandate to store CO2, so that importers do not add to the UK’s liability for greenhouse emissions. In addition, the import of LNG to make hydrogen will be replaced as rapidly as possible by hydrogen from the electrolysis of water – as more wind power is developed to make the UK resilient in energy from short supply chains.
Read the open letter: Rebuttal of CCS and hydrogen energy claims, Stuart Haszeldine et al
The Perfect must not be the enemy of the Good. Seeking absolute zero emissions is impossible, but Net Zero is pragmatic, recapturing more CO2 than was originally emitted. Inevitably there will be difficulties, mistakes, possibly errors of design. These are to be expected with new industries and sociall transitions. But the important thing is that these can be fixed by competent and experienced industrial operators. Industrial problems can have industrial solutions. And its much better to have a pragmatic capture and storage of 95% CO2 emissions whilst perfect remedies and equipment are developed, rather than continuing to emit CO2 for additional years.
So, let's celebrate the start of managed CO2 storage. The first country to commercialise coal use for steam is already the first country to evolve out of coal use for electricity and shows every sign of being the first country to decarbonise most, maybe even all, of its industrial economy.
Read the open letter - CCS UK Government announcement, Stuart Haszeldine, 4 October 2024
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