Gordon Stein, CFO of CleanTech Lithium, explains why CTL acquired the 23 Laguna Verde licenses. Watch the video here.
KK is right - the usk pellets are known as sub-fuel and were 'invented' by a Dutch company called N+P - they set up a subfuel plant in Middlesbrough and were going to supply usk from there, which is good part why the NRW turned down the application. They didn't want to import 'waste' into Wales
these people feed off having people talk about them - my policy is just ignore their posts & not engage with them - it starves them of the oxygen they so crave. Most grown-ups can spot a ramper and it amazes me so many rise to the bait - they love the attention
Shiv, The way I read it SAE have just awarded to £1.2M to a local company to dismantle the white elephant which is USK - this will just increase our outgoings. The only positive is we finally draw a line under the doomed USK project.
Can't say I agree with Dribbles at all. Tidal energy is supported by a variety of disparate independent organisations such the IMechE, and Greenpeace. We don't see tidal energy because it is more expensive than fossil fuels and wind, not because it is unfeasible. As gs says it is predictable and reliable, but will need some subsidy to get started - a lot less subsudy than nuclear.
no sure I agree. Welsh government would have to approve of export of waste to Cheshire and re-import back to Newport, plus they have one EfW at Newport docks and they've just turned down another EfW plant in Newport that would burn local waste.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/mor-hafren-incinerator-welsh-government-22177554.
It seems both local and national government in Wales are not keen on burning stuff
Not sure I agree with 'huge' potential - it seems there is more appetite to knock down old coal stations rather than re-purpose them. Most of the remaining stations were built in the 60's and would need a lot of investment to bring them up to modern standards so, if there is no where to burn the pellets the potential is more limited. The Welsh government will not look favourably on importing 'waste' from England. If NPA were in South Wales they might have a better, but still slim chance of approval
I'm fully aware of the properties of all AF's, and do not deny subcoal is a better fuel. My issue is with the economics. If you burn RDF you get the revenue from the collection and save the landfill tax. If you take sub-coal you're giving that 'profit' to someone else. There probably is a market for sub-coal - I'm just struggling to see what it is.
Regarding Uskmouth - the Welsh government have commited to 'beyond recycling' - burning stuff doesn't fit with that so we agree there at least. Another power station in another UK region might work, but SAE haven't got an alternative
Hi Strangey,
There are plenty of EfW plants running already - Veolia in Tyseley & Slough, Virador Ardley or UBB at Javelin Park. All of them using RDF direct from the waste collectors(such as Veolia or Virador...) without consuming energy to convert it into a fuel pellet. I just don't see the business case for Subcoal - you are putting in time and energy (&cost) to produce something that can be burnt without further processing.
Notably none of these EFW plants are converted old coal plants. The best example of this is DRAX which burns predominantly wood from the US, and has had £100Ms of EU and UK money to do so.
Uskmouth has no permit to operate and no planning permission for the change to subcoal, no investment from the EU or UK governments, and no magic wand. Difficult to see much positive about Uskmouth
No one is going to be hoovering up old coal power stations built in the 60's. The investment to convert is just not economical - look what they just did to Long Gannet - apart from that, the public (&therefore government) have no appetite for burning stuff. Gasification is more accertable, and produces something useful, rather than emissions
I think Uskmouth is dead in the water, and whilst it's good that SAE have some ownership of NPA it's difficult to see where they're going to 'sell' this fuel when all major alternative fuel users can get paid to burn much lesser fuel direct from the waste management companies like Veolia and Biffa. Tidal is great but Usk is a proverbial albatross
I pretty sure the Welsh government rejected it in mid November - it doesn't meet their recycling objectives. They don't want to burn anything - even waste. It's dead in the water as far as I can see, however I cannot find the decision document anymore