Time to look at fossil fuels in a new light?
August 1st 2008 With increasing acceptance that for the short term at least, continued use of fossil fuels is essential to keep the lights on, is it time we started looking at fossil fuels in a new light? This was one subject of debate at the Water Energy & Environment sponsored Energy Institute’s Energy in Transition conference reports Georgina Bisby.
Jon Lloyd, chief executive of UK Coal urged that if coal is essential to address the energy needs of here and now:“it is surely better that we use local coal than import it half way across the world.”
Lloyd also urged that future coal would use more advanced technologies and be more efficient than traditional coal and expressed hope that a new coal industry could be justified further if Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is (as is currently hoped) up and running by 2014.
While new technologies such as carbon capture are under development,“there is a difference between technologies being under development in the lab and in them being available on the mass market.”pointed out Professor Brennan of Cranfield University, adding: ”The Government and some financial investors are deluded if they think we already have the solutions.” More articles from WEE News Desk: | 
