Achieving security of supply and sustainability through investment in cleaner technologies

Friday 10 December 2010
County Hall, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Wakefield Council hosted this seminar on behalf of the Yorkshire Coal Task Force.

The aim of the seminar was to explore the future for coal and coal fired power stations in the Region and the possible risks of an energy shortage in the near future as older coal and nuclear power plants are phased out with possible delays in investment in new plant.

The seminar also highlighted the dangers of over-dependence on gas with security of supply and cost implications, while renewable energy sources are struggling to fill the gap.

The UK has been a net energy importer since 2004 and several speakers drew attention to the need to maximise the nation’s use of indigenous resources.

• Councillor Jacqui Williams, Deputy Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Growth for Wakefield Council, welcomed speakers and delegates and underlined the importance of the issues raised for the Wakefield District in regard to employment, skills and the environment as well as energy costs for local people and businesses.
  
  
• Diana Wallis MEP said energy is the lifeblood of society and is written in to the Lisbon Treaty. It is essential to use the UK’s coal resources but that delays in investment could slow down technological progress to help cleaner coal contribute to the EU’s targets on climate change.
  
  
• Dr Marion Wilde is the National Expert to the European Commission, seconded from the German government to the Directorate for Energy in the Unit responsible for the EU coal sector and the sustainable utilisation of coal. She spoke about the clear long term framework for energy investment being needed not only to reduce emissions, but generate employment, tackle fuel poverty and keep the lights on. Dr Wilde wants national governments to use revenues from the Emissions Trading Scheme to fund Carbon Capture and Storage projects.
  
  
• Phil Garner of UK Coal and Chris Skidmore NUM both pointed out that coal still provides nearly 30% of all UK electricity generated and a real commitment to build clean coal power stations with carbon capture and storage and adapt existing plant could make a huge impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
  
  
• Practical new technologies for cleaning up individual plants both existing and new were set out by Dr Laura Galvin who is involved with major investment in carbon capture and storage for Scottish and Southern Energy at Ferrybridge power station and Alisa Murphy for B9 Coal which is promoting a revolutionary fuel cell technology to produce electricity cleanly from coal.
  
  
• Dr Stephen Brown from CO2 Sense talked about the proposed carbon capture and storage network in the Yorkshire and Humber which could reduce CO2 emissions of the whole of the UK by 10% and create thousands of jobs.
  
  
• Mike Macdonald of the Prospect union said that UK and European energy and environment policies can help toward a sustainable energy supply which makes the best use of local resources and higher level skills in construction and engineering.

The Energy Minister, Charles Hendry MP sent a message to the seminar that he would be most interested in the outcome and prepared to meet the Yorkshire Coal Task Force on the issues discussed.

Speakers included:

• Dr Marion Wilde - European Commission, on coal and EU energy policy
• Diana Wallis MEP
• Dr Stephen Brown - CO2 Sense Yorkshire, on carbon capture and storage in the Region
• Laura Galvin - SSE Project Team, Ferrybridge carbon capture project
• Phil Garner - UK Coal Commercial Contracts Director on prospects for the UK coal industry
• Alisa Murphy - Director of B9 Coal, on coal applications for a revolutionary fuel cell technology proposed for Powerfuel's Hatfield site near Doncaster and other sites in the UK
• Chris Skidmore - NUM Yorkshire Area Chair
• Mike Macdonald - Prospect, skills and jobs in the coal and energy sector

Copies of presentations from the seminar are available below: