Invest in Carbon Capture Now Says the Car Party

London, United Kingdom, February 22, 2007 --(PR.com)-- A possibility exists to capture the CO2 emissions from fossil fuel power stations and for storing this in exhausted off shore oil fields and gas fields. The Car Party says Great Britain should start investing in Carbon Capture Now!

Natural gas is methane CH4. This is produced from several fields, offshore in the UK North Sea. The gas is brought onshore by pipeline, to the St Fergus gas terminal, and then to the Peterhead power station, where it is burned to make electricity. At present the CO2 from burning this gas goes into the atmosphere.

The plan is to add a new part onto the power station, which will use existing oil-refinery technology to split gas into Hydrogen H2 and CO2. The CO2 will be separated by a newly designed membrane, and will then be then sent offshore, using an existing corrosion-resistant pipeline.

This CO2 goes to the Miller oilfield, which is near to the end of its normal life of oil production. But, like many fields, more than 30% of the oil is still un-produced. The CO2 makes the remaining oil easier to produce - partly paying for the operation. The CO2 is stored in the oilfield, 4km below sea level, instead of being vented into the atmosphere from the power station. This is the first such integrated whole-system in the world, and could be operating before 2009.

This is one such example of how carbon capture could reduce dramatically CO2 emissions in the UK.

The Car Party has other policies for the reduction of CO2 by burning un-recyclable waste for the generation of electricity and stripping the CO2 from the resulting emissions. Nuclear power should be used to generate a larger proportion of our electricity thus reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. This would also reduce the impact on the landscape of wind farms.

Submitted by:
Stephen Harrison 0870 863 5878 secretary@thecarparty.org.uk

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