UK Prime Minister David Cameron has called for existing coal-fired power plants in the UK to be phased out in the next 10 to 15 years in a tweet following his speech at the UN climate summit in New York. His words come despite concerns in the industry that coal is still needed to play a vital role in energy generation and supply.
Cameron’s tweet, posted by the UK Mission to the United Nations, read: ’We’ve said no to new coal [without] carbon capture and storage and plan to phase out existing coal over next 10-15 years.’
While not stated explicitly in his speech at the climate summit, the UK team at the UN in New York said on the Twitter social media site afterwards that the UK government intends to phase out existing coal stations, with new coal-fired power stations to use carbon capture and storage technology.
This is the first time that a phasing out measure has been announced in the UK, though European Union rules on pollutants from coal-fired power stations state that older coal-fired plants will have to be fitted with clean technology sooner rather than later.
In contrast to the prime minister’s stance, UK energy companies such as EDF Energy have expressed that coal-fired power stations are critical to “bridging the energy gap between now and when the company can deliver new low-carbon generating capacity” and that switching away from coal too quickly could lead to higher carbon generation.
’If the UK were to close all its existing coal stations in the next few years, it is possible that they could be replaced by new gas-fired stations,’ EDF Energy says on its website. ’While the carbon footprint of new gas-fired generating plant would be smaller than the existing coal-fired power stations, they could still be substantial. Early replacement could therefore lock the UK into higher carbon generation for the lifetime of the new fossil-fuelled plants.’
EDF said it believes that the UK should use a “diverse range of fuels” including nuclear, renewable energy sources, and as the government proposes, coal and gas fitted with CCS technology, to ensure the long-term security of electricity supply in the UK.
Interestingly, the Guardian previously reported in August this year that the UK government was requesting that one of Europe’s most polluting coal power stations should stay open, despite its nitrogen oxide emissions exceeding new legal limits by five times.
The Aberthaw power plant in South Wales was said to be in the top 30 highest carbon-emitting plants in Europe by the Climate Action Network and alliance of non-governmental organisations in the “Europe’s Dirty 30” report.
Following Cameron’s announcement on Twitter, green campaigner Greenpeace UK called for both the Conservative and Labour politicians to announce a clear end date for polluting coal plants.
This article originally appeared on www.cleanenergypipeline.com a clean energy news service operated by VB Research, a sister publication to The Engineer
A bit misleading headline – Cameron is talking about coal fired without carbon capture! Although Cameron tweet would win no awards for clear English!
Although given the action (or lack of action) by most of the rest of the world it does seem a bit pointless!
This is not the first time our PM has said one thing whilst the government he leads actively pursues a different policy. I’d normally call it incompetence but I’m quite sure it is a policy of mis-direction.
Its like North Korea proclaiming its human rights whilst murdering entire families for misdemeanours by one family member, or Russia claiming to have no armed forces in Ukraine whilst mothers grieve for the sons killed fighting there.
By such means we can be said to be meeting our obligations, looking good before the UN, the electorate and the media etc. without actually doing anything.
People could call it lying but they don’t realise that, that doesn’t really exist anymore, except in moments of moral panic or media hysteria. In reality its post-modernism writ large, the total relativisation of truth and the natural outworking of “absolute secularism”.
People may query this but within philosophical circles its a well understood fact that without a god or gods there can be no objective or absolute truths, even mathematics is relative to the universe (we hope). In everyday terms society is well aware of this, people just haven’t realised the full ramifications of it. If you’ve ever said: “all truth is relative” or “true for me not for you”, or “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, then you have walked and relied upon this exact philosophical path yourself.
The uncomfortable truth (if such a thing exists) is that if Truth does exist objectively then so must god or gods.
But how many people nowadays are ready to affirm that “truth” and live by those consequences?
So, people fudge the issue. They live as though God exists when they want, when claiming something is “wrong”, “right”, “good”, “bad”, “true” or “false” but ignore him and the consequences of his existence the rest of the time.
Is it any wonder we get confused when the PM says one thing whilst the government he is incharge of does another. We are living in a state of flux between atheism and theism. Our whole society is paralysed by the praxis of trying to resolve bipolar opposite beliefs.
Alternatively it could just be incompetence. You decide.. afterall “all truth is relative”, is it not (even such statements of “truth”).
Two words: – Developing Nations.
Another frightening pronouncement based on the global warming religion. They are leading us lemming-like into the holy abys of a low carbon economy while the progressive world moves forward reducing their energy costs. Unfortunately, there will be no debate or criticism in the general media to whom “the science is settled”.
The economics and security aspects of closing more coal fired power stations are horrifying and the long term implications are that manufacturing will leave the UK for the USA and Germany where coal is king.
The USA are now one of the largest exporters of coal, due to the success of their fracking, and of course have very low energy costs. Germany has commissioned a number of coal fired power stations to replace their nuclear generation. I wonder if Mr. Cameron has discussed these facts with Obama / Merkel.
How amazing that that nice Mr Cameron twice in a week has come up against ‘technology’ [a voice aside -picked-up by a direction microphone 30 metres away to the ex-mayor of New York about what HMQ may -or may not- have said about a recent vote…] [and a dozen-word tweet about perhaps the most vital matter -the guarantee of the continuation of energy – we have at present, highlighted and developed by the ‘meja’ out of all proportion] Perhaps he and the rest of the inhabitants in of Westminsterville (and mejachester) should finally recognise that it is technology alone which now drives everything: and leave the future to we, who have been trained, educated and operate therein.
Mike B
Whilst I value Nath’s views, it may be that a more complete understanding of Professor Dawkins’ present views on evolution (allied as they are to those of Darwin) may assist.
Truth appears to be simply what an individual, entity or gathering of like-minded persons can pay to say it is? [Think about it] Add to that ‘history is invariably written by the winners’ and ‘those who create no wealth (plant , look-after, reap, sell) have always had to think of silly ways to be paid for by those who do’: and you have it!
hey Ho?