Extracts from the May-June 2003 edition of Renew
These extracts only represent about 25% of it

6. Coal is back The Mine gas option

One current favourite ‘stop gap’ option is the capture of methane gas from old mines. It’s not exactly renewable, but it is clearly sensible to use this gas to generate energy rather than letting it vent into the atmosphere- methane has a much higher impact (by a factor of 21) on climate change than the carbon dioxide that would be produced by burning it. There has been some pressure for mine gas projects to be included in the Renewable Obligation. According the the Guardian (Jan13th), Cameron Davies, chairman of the Association of Coal Mine Methane Operators, has argued that if coalmine methane were included in the renewables obligation more than 400 plants could be built with a combined capacity of 1200MW. Davies is Executive chair of Alkane Energy, which has access to 300 abandoned mines within its licensing area. He estimates that 600,000 tonnes of methane escapes from mines each year.

Another player is Clarke Energy, a power company that has been diversifying into renewables. Its web site argues ‘If a mechanism could be developed to support the price, as is the case in Germany, more of the 900 closed mines in the UK could be developed. It would be of benefit to Kyoto and make up for the shortfall in green energy, as well as benefiting local communities.’ But some progress is already being made. The new £5m Shirebrook Green Energy Park was formerly a colliery in Derbyshire. It was developed by Coalgas (UK) Ltd and Independent Energy (UK) Ltd, into one of the UK’s major mine methane-to-power schemes, and is now run by Clarke Generation, as an associate company.

See: www.clarke-energy.co.uk/news/oct2001_green_power.htm

Green Coal?

Capturing coal mine methane is an option for retrieving something environmentally positive from the UKs legacy of coal mining. But there is also to he option of returning to the use of coal, but sequestering to carbon dioxide produced when it is burnt.

Valleys Energy Ltd has announced plans to build a £375m 460MW integrated coal fired combined cycle gas turbine plant near Onllwyn in the Dulais Valley in south Wales. They are promoting the new project as being one of the most environmentally friendly power stations of its kind in the world since the coal gasification process allows for pollutants to be removed at an early stage, and might at some stage also allow for carbon dioxide emissions to be separated out for storage, possibly in the form of mineral carbonates. Moreover, there is talk of using the hydrogen gas it produces for the emerging hydrogen market, rather than just for electricity production.

Managing director Peter Whitton told BBC News: ‘We will use locally-produced coal, but instead of burning it we will turn it into clean gas to generate electricity. Pollutants will be removed during the process, creating clean hydrogen to drive an advanced gas turbine and generate electricity. This is a very environmentally friendly process and is more efficient and much cleaner than a conventional coal-fired power station, with very low emissions and no smoke or plumes from cooling towers.’

He added that the project could also help Wales win a share of the emerging hydrogen market- supplying fuel for vehicles, as well as power for homes and industry. He also noted that ‘the station is being specifically designed so that in the future even the carbon dioxide can be captured for long-term storage’.

The project is expected to secure up to 1,000 jobs- as well as the future of Tower Colliery. A former opencast site at Onllwyn, north of Neath, has been selected for the project because of the location’s rail links for coal deliveries. Subject to planning approval from Neath Port Talbot council and approval by the UK Energy Secretary, Valleys Energy hopes to begin construction in 2004 and begin producing electricity from 2007.

However, not all environmental campaigners are convinced that it’s as green as it is portrayed. The carbon sequestration and hydrogen production aspects are after all a little speculative. Some want a reduction in CO2 production as an immediate priority rather than as an option for later.