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voda 8 januari 2014 17:11

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EU beperkt handel uitstootrechten

WOENSDAG 8 JANUARI 2014, 17:00 uur | 1 keer gelezen

BRUSSEL (AFN) - De EU-lidstaten hebben woensdag besloten de verkoop uit te stellen van 900 miljoen uitstootrechten voor het schadelijke CO2. Op die manier willen de landen de prijs opdrijven, zodat het voor energiebedrijven en andere firma's duurder wordt om het milieu te verontreinigen. Mogelijk worden zij nu geprikkeld om groener te produceren.

De Europese Commissie verwelkomt het besluit van de lidstaten. Brussel spreekt over een belangrijke stap bij het herstel van de Europese markt voor uitstootrechten.

Europese bedrijven zijn verplicht om jaarlijks hun uitstoot van CO2 af te kopen. Waarnemers verwachten dat de huidige prijs van nog geen 5 euro per 1000 kilo CO2-uitstoot eind dit jaar zo'n 3 euro hoger zal zijn. In maart 2012 lag de prijs nog op 11 euro.

voda 15 januari 2014 16:51

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US energy related CO2 emissions expected to see first rise in 3 years

Once all data are in, energy related carbon dioxide emissions in 2013 are expected to be roughly 2% above the 2012 level, largely because of a small increase in coal consumption in the electric power sector.

Coal has regained some market share from natural gas since a low in April 2013, however the impact on overall emissions trends remains fairly small.

According to EIA's most recent Short Term Energy Outlook, emissions in 2013 are slightly more than 10% below 2005 levels, a significant contribution towards the goal of a 17% reduction in emissions from the 2005 level by 2020 that was adopted by the current Administration. This level of reduction is expected to continue through 2015.

CO2 emissions from energy activities declined four out of 6 years since their 2007 peak and were historically low in 2012.

From 2005 to 2013, the key energy economic drivers of a changing US energy landscape included:

1. Weak economic growth in recent years, dampening growth in energy demand compared to pre recession expectations

2. Continuously improving energy efficiency across the economy, including buildings and transportation

3. High energy prices over the past four years, with the exception of natural gas, since about 2010

4. An abundant and inexpensive supply of natural gas, resulting from the widespread use of new production technologies for shale gas

5. Power sector decarbonization since 2010, as natural gas and renewables displaced coal

Source – Strategic Research Institute

voda 18 januari 2014 15:58

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Europa doet forse stap terug in klimaatbeleid

De Europese Commissie kiest voor een minder ambitieus klimaatbeleid in de toekomst. De CO2-uitstoot van de EU-landen moet in 2030 zijn afgenomen met 35 tot 40 procent, maar dwingende nationale doelen voor duurzame energie en energiebesparing blijven uit. Milieugroeperingen en groene partijen zijn ontgoocheld door de plannen, meldt De Volkskrant.

In de voorstellen die de Commissie woensdag presenteert, krijgen de lidstaten meer vrijheid te voldoen aan de klimaatdoelen. Volgens Commissie-voorzitter Barroso gaat dit niet ten koste van het ambitieniveau. GroenLinks-europarlementariër Bas Eickhout noemt dat bedrog. 'Dit is zwaar teleurstellend.' Greenpeace vindt dat de Commissie 'de burgers en hun kinderen berooft van een schoon milieu'.

www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1012/Nederland/articl...

voda 23 januari 2014 22:14

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EU Proposes 2030 GHG Emissions, Renewables Mandates Based on Economic Concerns

01/23/2014 | Sonal Patel

The European Union (EU) should emit 40% less carbon dioxide than it did in 1990 and produce 27% of its energy from renewables by 2030, declares a new framework on climate and energy presented by the European Commission (EC) on Wednesday.

The communication setting out the 2030 framework is now expected to be debated by the European Council at a meeting in late March, and later by the European Parliament. The measure will be paired with a legislative proposal for a market stability reserve for the EU emissions trading system (ETS) starting in 2021. The EC urged the council and European Parliament to agree by the end of 2014 that the EU should pledge the 40% reduction in early 2015 as part of a new global climate agreement to be concluded in Paris.

The framework calls for a binding greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target of 40% emissions reduction below the 1990 level to be achieved by “domestic measures,” including gradual increases to an annual reduction in the “cap” on emissions from ETS sectors from 1.74% now to 2.2% after 2020.

It also sets a target for renewable energy of at least 27% in 2030 that would be binding at the EU level—but voluntary for member states. However, the framework does not call for a mandated energy savings target. “The Commission’s analysis shows that a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 40% would require an increased level of energy savings of approximately 25% in 2030,” it simply says, though it notes that the commission is due to review its energy efficiency directive this June.

The EU has set three targets to be attained by 2020: To slash GHG emissions below the 1990 level by 20%; to increase renewables’ share of its energy mix to 20%; and to improve energy efficiency by 20%. GHG emissions in 2012 had decreased 18% relative to 1990 and could fall to 24% by 2020 based on current policies, the EC said. The EU’s share of renewables in final energy consumed, meanwhile, was at 13% in 2012, and it was expected to surge to 21% in 2020 and 24% in 2030.

But these achievements were offset by a number of economic and financial shortfalls, the EC admitted. “Fossil fuel prices remain high, which negatively affects the Union’s trade balance and energy costs,” it said. In 2012, the EU’s oil and gas import bill amounted to more than €400 billion ($547 billion) or approximately 3.1% of the EU’s GDP.

Then, “[t]here has been a decisive shift in the centre of gravity of global energy demand towards emerging economies, notably China and India. At the same time, households and industrial users are increasingly concerned by rising energy prices and price differentials with many of the Union’s trading partners most notably the USA,” it said. And, while an “internal energy market” has developed, “new risks for fragmentation have emerged,” foremost among them the static ETS, which failed to drive “investments in low-carbon technologies sufficiently well, increasing the likelihood of new national policies that undermine the level playing field the ETS was meant to create.”

Renewable energy technologies have matured and costs have fallen “substantially,” but “the rapid development of renewable energy sources now poses new challenges for the energy system,” the EC also said.

Even so, the EC touted the framework as the best means to “ensure regulatory certainty for investors and a coordinated approach among member states,” declaring it will drive progress toward a low-carbon economy and help develop new technologies.

In an associated communication on energy prices and costs in Europe, the EC said that the rise in electricity prices for both households and industry “is driven mainly by increases in taxes/levies and network costs,” noting that “the evolution of the energy component of prices was uneven; in countries with high penetration of wind and solar power there has been downward pressure on wholesale power prices, but not in other[s].”

voda 26 januari 2014 15:26

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Part 2:

One solution emphasized by the EC concerns the liberalization of the market, which it said could “deliver more competition and therefore more efficient and cheaper energy.” The EC also said it was committed to completing the internal energy market in 2014 and further developing energy infrastructure. Global fuel prices, on the other hand, are more “difficult to influence,” the EC said, but potential solutions lay in diversifying energy supplies and supply routes, as well as in increasing renewables and energy efficiency. Finally, to tackle energy policy levies, the EC called on member countries to “ensure the policies financed by such measures are applied as cost effectively as possible.”

Along with its new targets, the 2030 framework proposes a new governance framework based on national plans for “competitive, secure and sustainable energy,” the EC pointed out. Based on guidance soon expected from the EC, these plans—which the member states are to prepare under a “common approach”—would provide investors with more transparency, coherence, coordination, and EU surveillance. “An iterative process between the Commission and Member States will ensure the plans are sufficiently ambitious, as well as their consistency and compliance over time,” the EC said.

—Sonal Patel, associate editor (@POWERmagazine, @sonalcpatel)

voda 24 februari 2014 16:13

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Shell in volgende fase Britse CO2-opslag

MAANDAG 24 FEBRUARI 2014, 11:30 uur | 415 keer gelezen

LONDEN (AFN) - Shell heeft een overeenkomst getekend met de Britse regering voor de volgende ontwerpfase voor de opslag van CO2 in het Britse Aberdeenshire. Dat maakte het energieconcern maandag bekend. Het gaat om de zogeheten 'front-end engineering and design'-fase, die naar verwachting tot 2015 duurt.

Het doel is gedurende 10 jaar 10 miljoen ton CO2 af te vangen en op te slaan (ccs) bij de Peterhead-gascentrale bij Aberdeenshire. Volgens Shell levert dat proces voldoende schone energie op voor het equivalent van 500.000 huishoudens per jaar. Als het een succes wordt, gaat het om de eerste grootschalige toepassing van ccs-technologie bij een gascentrale ter wereld.

CCS, voluit carbon capture and storage, zorgde in 2009 voor veel ophef in Barendrecht. De overheid vroeg Shell mee te doen aan een demonstratieproject, dat voorzag in de opslag van CO2 onder een woonwijk tot afgrijzen van de bewoners. In 2010 trok de overheid de stekker uit het project.

voda 26 februari 2014 16:25

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Ruim 100 miljoen euro nodig voor afvangen CO2

WOENSDAG 26 FEBRUARI 2014, 12:48 uur | 141 keer gelezen

ROTTERDAM (AFN) - Afhankelijk van de CO2-prijs moet Europa meer dan 100 miljoen euro op tafel moeten leggen om koolstofdioxide onder de Noordzee te stoppen. Dan pas kunnen de twee kolencentrales van E.ON en GDF Suez op de Maasvlakte in Rotterdam hun belofte nakomen om een installatie te bouwen die de opvang van die CO2 in een leeg gasveld mogelijk maakt.

Dat maakt woensdag een woordvoerder duidelijk van het Rotterdam Opslag- en Afvangdemonstratieproject. Verantwoordelijk wethouder Alexandra van Huffelen (D66) stuurde de gemeenteraad een brief met daarin de laatste stand van zaken rondom het project. De twee energiebedrijven mochten van de gemeente Rotterdam een kolencentrale bouwen als ze CO2 zouden afvangen in plaats van het in de lucht terecht te laten komen.

E.ON en GDF Suez zagen echter financiële problemen op zich afkomen omdat het verhandelen van rechten om CO2 te mogen uitstoten niet meer rendabel is. Daardoor kan het goedkoper zijn om CO2 in de lucht te stoten dan af te vangen. De wethouder hield de twee bedrijven echter aan de afspraak, ook was die niet keihard vastgelegd.

De centrale die het afvangen mogelijk maakt, moet nog worden gebouwd. Deze moet rond 2016 operationeel zijn. Omdat het project ook van groot belang is voor Europa, gingen de bedrijven in overleg met EU-commissaris Günther Oettinger (Energie).

Die vraagt nu met klem de betrokken landen, zo blijkt uit de raadsbrief van de Rotterdamse wethouder, dat ze zich committeren aan het project en daarom met geld over de brug moeten komen. Om die reden komen begin maart de energieministers van de betrokken landen bij elkaar om te praten over de verdeling van het extra geld dat nodig is. Van Huffelen: ,,Deze bijdragen, tezamen met geld van E.ON en GDF SUEZ, zorgen voor voldoende financiële dekking voor het project. Dit proces wordt voor de zomer van 2014 afgerond.’’

voda 18 maart 2014 21:05

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CCS Is Not Yet “Adequately Demonstrated,” Say Industry Leaders [Corrected]

Janet McCabe, a top air regulation official at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defended the agency’s carbon rule for new power plants at a House hearing on Wednesday, even as industry witnesses countered that technology does not yet exist to meet the regulatory requirements.

The EPA’s acting assistant administrator for air and radiation reiterated the Obama administration’s commitment to mitigate “current and future damage” caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

The proposal meets the Clean Air Act’s requirement for “adequately demonstrated technology,” and “there is adequate and robust data showing that the various components that we based that standard on are in use and will be ready,” she told lawmakers at a joint energy and environment subcommittee hearing of the House Science Committee.

The EPA has previously said it considered the expected performance of the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology at a number of facilities, including the Kemper Country Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle project, the Texas Clean Energy Project (TCEP), and Hydrogen Energy California (HECA) facilities in finding that CCS is “adequately demonstrated.” Rules under the Clean Air Act have had a history of accelerating newer technologies, McCabe said on Wednesday.

The hearing on Wednesday was held to assess whether “facts about carbon capture and storage” support the EPA’s New Source Performance Standards proposed under the Clean Air Act’s Section 111(b), as Environment Subcommittee Chair David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) said. But he added: “These rules are simply a thinly veiled attempt to prevent new coal power and eventually take down natural gas.”

Robert Hilton, who is vice president of power technologies for government affairs for carbon capture technology pioneer Alstom, noted that no carbon capture technologies had yet been deployed at commercial stage, though several Alstom technologies had progressed through the validation scale demonstration. “This stage is the proof of technology in real field conditions—or in this case actual power plant flue gas,” he said. “It is at this point we can say confidently that the basic technology works.”

But, he cautioned, “The final stage to reach commercial status is to perform a demonstration at full commercial scale. There are several reasons for this requirement. It is critical to be at commercial scale to define the risk of offering the technology. This cannot be defined until the technology can be shown to work at full scale.”

Significantly, after listing the EPA’s considered CCS projects, Hilton asserted that “four of the six projects are gasifiers and high pressure technology not suited to pulverized coal or natural gas combined cycle electricity producing plants, which are at atmospheric pressure.”

“Alstom suggests this summary demonstrates the EPA referenced projects fail to meet the ‘technically feasibly’ criteria. These technologies are not operating at significant scale at any site as of the rule publication,” he said. “We believe the failure to meet the Clean Air Act criteria should prompt EPA to reconsider crafting carbon control regulations more in line with the technology development and [Department of Energy] timeline.”

But then capture is only one half of the equation, and storage will be a bigger challenge, said Robert Trautz, a senior technical leader in the generation sector at nonprofit corporation EPRI. Trautz noted that the EPA rule calls for a mandatory reduction in carbon dioxide emissions intensity using CCS technologies that will require generators to reduce carbon emissions to less than 1,100 lb/MWh gross.

“To place this emission limit in perspective, the amount of CO2 that will need to be captured and stored to meet the 1,100 lb/MWh gross emission limit is approximately 40% of the CO2 output from a supercritical, pulverized coal-fired [electric generating unit (EGU)],” he explained. “A relatively modest size 1,000 MW EGU will produce approximately 7.8 million metric tons of CO2 per year, requiring that about 3.1 million metric tons of CO2 be captured and stored per annum. For this example, the total CO2 tonnage to be stored over a 40 year EGU life span will exceed 120 million metric tons.”

That will require a subsurface footprint that could extend over many square miles. “It also demonstrates the importance of characterizing and utilizing large regional reservoirs for storage due to the very large quantities of CO2 from multiple EGUs,” he said. “Further government investment in research is needed that will integrate fossil fuel-fired power projects with capture and saline storage at full scale to demonstrate that the technology is feasible and reliable,” he concluded.

Testifying for the American Public Power Association (APPA), General Manager of City Utilities of Springfield Scott Miller also said the EPA’s conclusion that CCS is adequately demonstrated is “premature.” None of the four pilot projects described by the EPA exhausts or sequesters carbon dioxide he said.

“Of the four, two are in the process of being constructed and two are in development. Of the two being constructed, the Kemper plant faces development costs in excess of $1 billion, and is dependent on a technology development for a lignite coal that is not available any other place in the country. The second plant under construction, in Canada, is a post combustion CCS operation at a small research facility boiler that is not scalable. Of the two projects [TCEP and HECA] still in development, there is no firm timeline for construction of either.”

[Ed: This article was updated 3/14/14 to correct a quote that could have been misconstrued as being attributed to the wrong party.]

—Sonal Patel, associate editor (@POWERmagazine, @sonalcpatel)

voda 3 april 2014 16:16

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Tot 2017 geen CO2-heffing op verre vluchten

DONDERDAG 3 APRIL 2014, 15:59 uur | 21 keer gelezen

BRUSSEL (AFN) - Luchtvaartmaatschappijen hoeven tot 2017 geen CO2-heffingen te betalen voor vluchten naar of van bestemmingen buiten de EU. Tot dan geldt het speciale stelsel van uitstootheffingen alleen voor vluchten binnen de EU. Het Europees Parlement is donderdag met die uitzondering akkoord gegaan, tot ergernis van de milieubeweging.

Vooral door Amerikaanse en Aziatische luchtvaartmaatschappijen is fel geprotesteerd tegen de EU-plannen om ook intercontinentale vluchten te belasten, en de lidstaten hebben daar begrip voor. De milieucommissie van het Europees Parlement was tegen de uitzondering, maar in de plenaire stemming ging een ruime meerderheid van het EP toch akkoord.

voda 16 april 2014 16:39

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EU Nations authorize CO2 market fix talks with parliament

European Union governments approved a mandate to start talks with the bloc’s Parliament on a draft rescue plan for the EU carbon market, overcoming a 15 month deadlock over the measure to alleviate a record surplus.

EU carbon allowances fell to their lowest in more than 2 months, even as EU member states agreed to advance work on the draft law that aims to help prices recover from all time lows.

Nations agreed that their negotiating position will be to approve the measure as amended by the European Parliament in July. That would accelerate talks on the plan.

Mr Arunas Vinciunas Lithuania’s deputy ambassador to the EU said that “There is a pressing need to redress the carbon price and reassure markets that the EU is serious about ensuring the proper functioning of its Emissions Trading System.”

The draft measure, which needs approval from EU governments and the Parliament to become law was proposed last year as a temporary fix to alleviate a record oversupply of emission permits, aggravated by an economic crisis. The European Commission which designed the emergency plan, wants to propose a deeper overhaul of the EUR 53 billion market at the turn of the year.

Carbon permits for delivery in December plunged as much as 8% to EUR 4.42 per tonne, the biggest fall in three weeks, erasing earlier gains on the ICE Futures Europe exchange. The contracts closed 6.5% lower at EUR 4.49.

Mr Bostjan Bandelj director at Belektron in Ljubljana said that “Even as backloading seems a done deal, prices are under pressure from government auctions and sales of allowances from a special reserve by the European Investment Bank in the next months.”

Source - Bloomberg

voda 6 mei 2014 16:33

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Vattenfall snoeit in onderzoeksprojecten

DINSDAG 6 MEI 2014, 15:30 uur | 67 keer gelezen

STOCKHOLM (AFN) - Energieconcern Vattenfall staakt zijn eigen onderzoeksactiviteiten op het gebied van energieopwekking met behulp van kolen, waarbij koolstofdioxide (CO2) wordt afgevangen en opgeslagen. Ook sommige onderzoeksprojecten op het gebied van energie uit gas en zeewind worden afgeblazen. Dat maakte het Zweedse moederbedrijf van Nuon dinsdag bekend.

Het besluit hangt samen met aanhoudend zwakke marktomstandigheden. Vattenfall kampt met dalende omzetten en ziet zich gedwongen ook zijn investeringen in onderzoek en ontwikkeling terug te schroeven. De annulering van de onderzoeksprojecten treft ongeveer 40 werknemers, van wie er volgens een woordvoerder drie in Amsterdam gestationeerd zijn. Voor hen wordt ander werk gezocht.

Dat Vattenfall geen geld meer steekt in eigen onderzoek naar CO2-opslag bij kolencentrales, heeft er volgens de zegsman mee te maken dat het bedrijf momenteel geen investeringsplannen heeft in die richting. Wel blijft het energieconcern op dit terrein ervaringen uitwisselen met andere ondernemingen.

Gascentrales zijn uit de gratie omdat de productie daarvan minder oplevert dan Vattenfall een aantal jaar geleden verwachtte. Het bedrijf blijft investeren in windenergie, ook op zee, maar de nadruk komt volgens de woordvoerder wel meer op het land te liggen. Daar zijn de kosten lager. Verder richt Vattenfall zijn onderzoeksbeleid op onder meer water- en kernenergie en verbetering van elektriciteitsnetten.

voda 21 mei 2014 17:00

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India needs to invest USD 834 billion in 2 decades to curb emissions

According to a Planning Commission expert group, India will have to invest USD 834 billion in the 2 decades ending 2030 to reduce its emission intensity to gross domestic product by 42% over 2007 levels.

According to the final report of the expert group on low carbon strategies for inclusive growth, the massive change in the energy mix by 2030 will result in lower annual demand of coal at 1,278 million tonne from an estimated 1,568 million tonne.

The measures would help in reducing demand for crude oil to 330 million tonne, from an estimated 406 million tonne by 2030. The low carbon emission strategy would increase the consumption of gas in energy mix and its consumption would increase from 187 billion cubic metres to 208 billion cubic meter. Under the low carbon energy mix, the installed capacities of wind and solar power would have to be increased to 118 GW and 110 GW, respectively, by 2030.

Mr Kirit Parikh former member of the Planning Commission (Energy) and head of the expert group said that the huge investments needed in low carbon strategy would have little impact on economic growth. He opined that the Indian economy is expected to be growing at a rate of 7.03% per annum till 2030 and with the investment of USD 834 billion over two decades on low carbon strategy, it would grow at 6.87% every year.

He said that however, this investment of USD 834 billion at 2011 prices would result in reduced resources for other sectors, which could in turn affect the GDP growth rate. Highlighting other observations of the study, he said that people are buying higher star-rated appliances these days, which are generally more energy efficient.

Source - Business Standard

voda 23 mei 2014 15:36

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EU approves carbon floor price compensation for energy intensive firms

The European Union has approved UK plans to compensate businesses operating in energy intensive sectors, such as chemicals, steel and iron, paper and plastics, to help them cope with the financial impact of the Treasury's controversial carbon floor price.

The European Commission yesterday granted state aid approval for the government to provide compensation worth up to 80 per cent of the carbon floor price, which currently stands at GBP 9.55 per tonne of CO2 and will next year rise to GBP 18.08 per tonne.

The government argues the compensation is required to remove the threat of carbon leakage whereby energy intensive businesses relocate to other countries to avoid the impact climate change policies. Yesterday's decision forms just one element of the government's multi-million pound Energy Intensive Industries Package announced last year by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Mr Gareth Stace, of EEF the manufacturers' association, said that “The decision would be welcomed by its members as it will help alleviate the significant costs associated with climate change policies that energy intensive firms face. He said the carbon price floor currently adds between five and ten per cent to the energy bills of energy intensive companies, making them less competitive on the international stage.”

Mr Stace said that "We very much welcome it, although it's taken quite some time to get approval, considering our members have been paying the carbon price floor for over a year now. The government should now press the Commission further to secure backdated compensation from April 2013, when the Carbon Price Floor was first introduced.”

Mr Stace also voiced concern that a number of industries, such as cement and lime, gypsum, glass and ceramics, will not be eligible for compensation as they were excluded from the Commission's list of industries that qualified for support to help them cope with the costs associated with the Emissions Trading System earlier this year.

Mr David Powell economics campaigner for Friends of the Earth said that “The compensation scheme would undermine UK efforts to tackle climate change. One way or another the UK needs to get all parts of its economy, including its manufacturing base, off fossil fuels it's bad policy and bad for our competitiveness if climate policies are repeatedly rejigged as soon as industry protests about short term costs."

He said that "Now that industry has got everything it wanted from George Osborne, I hope they'll throw equal weight behind demanding an impressive low carbon industrial strategy that cements our future prosperity in a sharply decarbonising world."

Source – Business Green.com

voda 3 juni 2014 16:21

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Amerikaans CO2-plan biedt mogelijkheden voor Arcadis - Market Talk

AMSTERDAM (Dow Jones)--Het nieuws dat Arcadis (ARCAD.AE) onderdeel is van e e n van de winnende voorstellen voor het "Rebuild by Redesign" programma in de VS is gezien de nieuwsstroom in de afgelopen dagen niet verrassend. SNS merkt op dat het project een goede hoeveelheid werk oplevert voor de water-activiteiten van het concern op de korte termijn. Het door de Amerikaanse president Obama aangekondigde plan om per 2030 de CO2-uistoot bij elektriciteitscentrales te reduceren met 30% ten opzichte van emissieniveau's in 2005 biedt Arcadis volgens SNS meer mogelijkheden op de lange termijn. SNS hanteert een accumulate-advies en koersdoel van EUR29,00. Omstreeks 9.35 uur noteert het aandeel 0,7% lager op EUR26,20, terwijl de Midkap met 0,2% daalt. (PBU)

Dow Jones Nieuwsdienst: +31-20-5715200; amsterdam@dowjones.com

voda 3 juni 2014 20:53

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Carbon Rules Proposed for Existing Power Plants

Existing fossil fuel–fired U.S. power plants must comply with state-specific goals to lower carbon pollution by 2030 under rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today.

The so-called “Clean Power Plan,” which applies to existing power plants, seeks to cut carbon emissions from the power sector by 30% from 2005 levels by 2030.

It essentially consists of two main parts: state goals that must be achieved within a 10- to 15-year window after the plan is final and guidelines to help states develop plans by June 2016 (with a one-year extension option) to meet those goals. The EPA said the proposal, which gives states the option to work individually or in regional groups, “ensures that states have the flexibility to choose the best set of cost-effective reductions for them.”

Each state’s goal is a rate—a single number for the future carbon intensity of that state, calculated as CO2 emissions from fossil fuel–fired power plants in pounds divided by state electricity generation from fossil fuel–fired power plants and certain low- or zero-emitting power sources in megawatt-hours.

“Each state’s goal reflects the fact that CO2 emissions from fossil fuel–fired power plants are determined both by how efficiently they operate and by how much they operate,” the EPA said.

States can choose how to meet their goals through specific options, including investing in energy efficiency programs, expanding renewable and “low-carbon” capacity, upgrading aging infrastructure, or “looking broadly across the power sector for strategies that get reductions.”

The EPA is proposing the state goal approach under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, which requires that the EPA identify the “best system of emission reduction … adequately demonstrated” (BSER) that is available to limit pollution. It identified four “building blocks” that it says are in use by many states and utilities to make up the best system to curb carbon pollution. These include making fossil fuel power plants more efficient; using lower-emitting sources (such as natural gas combined cycle units); using more renewable and nuclear sources; and using power more efficiently.

New Proposal for Modified, Reconstructed Power Plants

In a separate action today, the EPA also proposed standards to address CO2 emissions from modified and reconstructed power plantsunder the authority of Clean Air Act Section 111(b). “The proposed emission limits for modified or reconstructed sources are based on the performance of available and demonstrated technology,” the EPA said. “These proposed limits for modified and reconstructed sources do not require implementation of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, nor are they based on that technology.”

Instead, the agency proposed separate numeric standards for different types of units. For modified utility boilers and integrated gasification combined cycle units, the EPA proposed two alternative standards of performance. Under the first alternative, all modified units would be subject to a single standard of performance, and under the second, the specific form of the standard will depend on whether the source makes the modification before or after becoming subject to a CAA section 111(d) state plan. Performance standards for modified natural gas stationary combustion turbines are set at a level based on natural gas combined cycle technology.

voda 3 juni 2014 21:26

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Report: Power Plant Emissions Down Substantially

According to a report released on May 28, NOX and SO2 emissions in 2012 were 74% and 79% lower, respectively, than they were in 1990 when Congress passed major amendments to the Clean Air Act.

Although power plant CO2 emissions have actually increased 13% from 1990 levels, the trend has been down in recent years, declining 13% between 2008 and 2012. In addition, mercury emissions have decreased 51% since 2000.

The report, “Benchmarking Air Emissions of the 100 Largest Electric Power Producers in the United States,” was produced through a collaborative effort between Ceres, Bank of America, four power producers—Calpine, Entergy, Exelon, and Public Service Enterprise Group—and the Natural Resources Defense Council; it was authored by M.J. Bradley and Associates. The report is the 10th in a series, which began in 1997, using publicly reported data to compare the emissions performance of the 100 largest power producers in the U.S. The current report is based on 2012 generation and emissions data.

It was noted that the electric power industry is in a period of transition. Demand has been flat and natural gas prices have remained low, spurring increased use of gas in the electric generation sector.

Since 2010, plant owners have announced the retirement of about 60 GW of coal-fired capacity (roughly 18% of the fleet). Coal plant utilization has also declined. The average annual capacity factor for coal-fired power plants in 2008 was 73%, but that declined to 60% in 2013.

In contrast, natural gas consumption by the electric sector has increased by nearly 60% over the past 10 years. Natural gas combined cycle power plants’ average capacity factors have increased from 40% to 47% between 2008 and 2013.

While total electricity generation has decreased slightly since 2010, renewable generation (excluding large hydroelectric projects) increased 31% between 2010 and 2012. Wind led the way with over 13 GW of capacity added in 2012.

A small number of companies account for the majority of emissions. Nearly a quarter of the electric power industry’s SO2 and NOX emissions come from just three and four top producers, respectively. American Electric Power (AEP), Southern Co., and Duke Energy generated the most SO2, while AEP, Duke, FirstEnergy, and MidAmerican Energy emitted the most NOX. Of course, the sizes of these companies contribute to their positions within the rankings, as all are among the top 12 electric power producers in the U.S.

More telling is the state-by-state data. CO2 emissions per megawatt-hour of power produced were found to vary almost twenty-fold among the states, with Kentucky, Wyoming, West Virginia, Indiana, and North Dakota having the highest CO2 emissions rates, while Idaho, Vermont, Washington, Oregon, and Maine had the lowest.

“One objective of this report is to help illuminate the complex emissions landscape in this country—the struggle to balance environmental priorities with economic sustainability,” said Chuck Barlow, Entergy’s vice president of environmental strategy and policy.

“The electric power industry is firmly on the path toward a low carbon energy future, and history shows that it is not only capable of meeting new pollution limits, but that it can do so while keeping our lights on and our economy growing,” said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, a nonprofit sustainability group that helped produce the report.

—Aaron Larson, associate editor (@AaronL_Power, @POWERmagazine)

voda 4 juni 2014 17:01

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USA President plan to cut greenhouse gas emission by 2020

At the end of his first year in office, President Mr Obama made a bold promise: the United States would cut its greenhouse gas emissions substantially by 2020.

Unfortunately it was a risky pledge that hinged on Congress. After President Mr Obama was unable to get his major climate change proposal through Congress in his first term, it seemed as though his pledge to the rest of the World and planet Earth might disintegrate into thin air.

But today, President Mr Obama said that plans to bypass Congress entirely. By using his executive authority under the Clean Air Act, he proposed an Environmental Protection Agency regulation to cut carbon pollution from the nation’s power plants 30% from 2005 levels by 2030. It’s one of the strongest actions ever taken by the United States government to fight climate change.

He said that “The shift to a cleaner-energy economy won’t happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way.”

He added that “But a low-carbon, clean-energy economy can be an engine of growth for decades to come. America will build that engine. America will build the future, a future that’s cleaner, more prosperous and full of good jobs.”

The regulation targets the largest source of carbon pollution in the United States: coal-fired power plants. So naturally it has already met huge opposition.

Senator Mr Michael B Enzi of Wyoming, the nation’s top coal-producing state, in response to President Obama, said that “The administration has set out to kill coal and its 800,000 jobs. If it succeeds in death by regulation, we’ll all be paying a lot more money for electricity — if we can get it. Our pocketbook will be lighter, but our country will be darker.”

But rather than forcing coal plants to immediately shutdown, the EPA. will allow States several years to retire existing plants. They estimate that by 2030, 30% of US electricity will still come from coal, down from about 40% today.

The regulation also gives a wide range of options to achieve the pollution cuts. States are encouraged to reduce emissions by making changes across the electricity systems. They’re encouraged to install new wind and solar generation technology. This will create a huge demand for designing and building energy-efficient technology.

Source - www.universetoday.com

voda 7 november 2014 16:50

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EC Agrees on 2030 Climate and Energy Policy Framework

Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 23–24, the European Council (EC) agreed on the 2030 climate and energy policy framework for the European Union (EU), calling on all countries to come forward with ambitious targets and policies.

The EC endorsed a binding EU target of at least a 40% reduction in domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. It proposed utilizing a reformed emissions trading system as the main instrument in achieving the target, changing the annual factor to reduce emissions from 1.74% to 2.2%, beginning in 2021.

Renewable energy targets were set at 27% in 2030—binding at the EU-level—while the EC left open the option of supporting member states that set more ambitious national targets. It noted that integration of rising levels of intermittent renewable energy will require appropriate backup and a more interconnected energy market, but left coordination of those aspects for regional entities to carry out.

Energy efficiency improvements were also a priority for the commission. An EU-level target was set of at least 27% savings in 2030 compared to projections of future energy consumption. The EC said it would review the policy by 2020, however, with a 30% goal on the table.

The renewable energy and energy efficiency targets are non-binding nationally, which is a point of contention for some groups. The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) believes the EC missed an opportunity to be more aggressive. According to the EWEA, the “decision to set an EU-binding target of 27% showed a lack of ambition to improve Europe’s energy security. Governments also ignored calls from the renewable energy sector and European business leaders for a nationally-binding target of at least 30%.”

“The 27% target is disappointing and is contrary to the incoming Commission’s plans to make Europe the world leader in renewables,” Thomas Becker, CEO of the EWEA, said in a statement, but the EC said it didn’t want to dictate a specific energy mix to member states and that each state is free to set its own higher national target.

Another priority for the EC is developing a functional internal energy market connection. It is focusing specifically on integration of the Baltic States, Portugal, and Spain—member states that it feels have not yet attained a minimum level of integration in the internal energy market—setting a target of 10% of existing electricity interconnections. But even that was met with skepticism.

“The interconnectivity target is bewildering given the current political challenges Europe is facing,” Becker said. “We’re in the midst of an energy crisis with Russia holding Member States to ransom over gas supplies. Yet Heads of State see fit to trot out a meaningless target that will do nothing to improve connection in the Iberian Peninsula or the security of supply in the Baltic States, let alone allow an internal energy market to develop.”

In the area of energy security, the EC agreed to implement gas projects of common interest, such as the north-south corridor, the southern gas corridor, and the promotion of a new gas hub in Southern Europe. It also aims to improve the use of regasification and storage capacity to respond to emergency situations.

—Aaron Larson, associate editor (@AaronL_Power, @POWERmagazine)

voda 20 april 2015 16:51

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United States greenhouse gas pollution increased 2pct in 2013 - EPA

The US Environmental Protection Agency announced in its annual greenhouse gas emissions inventory that after 2 years of decline, total US greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere because of human activity increased 2% in 2013 over the previous year. That surge was fueled, in large part, because of a growing economy, falling coal prices and a cold winter.

According to the EPA, emissions across nearly all sectors grew in 2013, with increased GHG emissions from electricity generation, more vehicle miles traveled on the nation’s roadways and greater industrial production.

The news of the increase in US human-caused GHG emissions comes at a critical moment in the global battle against climate change, particularly after the International Energy Agency announced last month that global carbon emissions related to energy consumption have stabilized for the first time in a growing economy.

Ahead of international climate negotiations in Paris at the end of this year, the Obama administration announced a plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions each year by 26% by 2025, compared to 2005 levels. The EPA’s Clean Power Plan may also bring about CO2 cuts if it is finalized later this year.

Last year, electric power plants accounted for 31% of total U.S. GHG emissions, followed by transportation at 27% and industrial and manufacturing activity at 21%.

US greenhouse gas emissions peaked in 2007. That year the US released 7.40 billion tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent, a measure of the global warming potential of any greenhouse gas in terms of the amount of warming generated by CO2. The U.S. released 6.67 billion tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2013, up from 6.54 billion tonne in 2012.

The Great Recession had a major effect on US GHG emissions as the economy stumbled.

Mr Kevin Trenberth, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, said that “The big drop occurred from 2007 to 2009, and some of this was the recession. But there has been good progress on reducing coal consumption, often at (the) expense of more natural gas, but also renewables have done better than expected.”

Hes aid that but the downward trend in emissions can only continue if more renewables and nuclear power are used in the US.

Mr Michael Mann, Penn State University climatologist, said that “Over the past few years, we’ve seen increased economic growth and coal has become a bit more competitive with natural gas over the past year or two.”

He said that he is optimistic that efforts among some states, including California and some northeastern states, to place a price on carbon may eventually help to reduce overall GHG emissions nationwide.

Mr Mann said that “It will take a bit of patience to see that in the numbers, but there is evidence we are already seeing that in the global carbon emissions numbers, which, for the first time in decades, remained flat while economic activity showed substantial growth.”

He said that “More important than 2013’s increase in emissions is the Obama administration’s commitment to reduce them through the Clean Power Plan, incentives for clean energy and the pact between the US and China.”

Source : SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

voda 19 mei 2015 17:04

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Germany to force plant operators to cut CO2 emissions by 2020

According to an economy ministry document seen by Reuters, bowing to opposition from within the industry, Germany plans to force coal-fired power plant operators to reduce their CO2 emissions by 2020 by less than previously planned.

Thousands of coal workers marched in Berlin last month to protest against plans to slap a levy on the oldest and most polluting power plants, which unions say could put 100,000 jobs at risk.

The levy is aimed at forcing coal operators to slash their emissions and stop Germany from falling short of its target to cut greenhouse gases by 40% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels.

But RWE, the country's largest power producer, warned the measure would lead to the immediate closure of its lignite-fired power plants.

According to the document, in an attempt to defuse the situation, the economy ministry now plans to require coal plant operators to cut their emissions by 16 million tonne by 2020, compared with a previous target of at least 22 million tonne.

Under the original proposal power plants older than 20 years were required to pay a penalty on CO2 emitted above a limit of 7 million tonne per gigawatt of installed capacity, with the oldest power plants receiving even lower exemptions.

The new proposal has raised the amount of CO2 older power stations are able to emit before the penalties kick in.

The document said that "Increasing the amount that is exempt by almost a third will significantly increase the profitability of older power stations."

Generators E.ON and Vattenfall declined to comment. RWE was not immediately available for comment.

Government sources said taht the government now plans to achieve the remaining six million tonne of CO2 emission cuts for the energy sector by promoting the use of more environmentally-friendly combined heat and power plants.

However the proposal is yet to be approved by the Chancellor's office and other ministries.

Source : Reuters

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