HUNDREDS of new oil and gas licences will be granted in the UK, with the Government committed to developing existing reserves as well as carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Rishi Sunak insists that aside from supporting thousands of jobs, developing new oil and gas in the UK will create fewer emissions than shipping it in from abroad.
The Government says new development is consistent with its target of becoming net zero by 2050.
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak loses it with BBC Scotland presenter in 'car crash' interview
Those opposing new developments, which include some of the world’s leading climate scientists and the Government’s own net zero advisers, say approving more extraction will weaken the UK’s climate reputation internationally and lock in decades of emissions at a time when they need to be drastically reduced.
They say it will not improve the UK’s energy security – one of the Government’s key arguments – as it will take too long to begin production to have any effect on bills in the short term and up to 80% of it will be sold abroad.
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak confirms new oil and gas licences for North Sea
The Government is pushing North Sea oil and gas producers to at least decarbonise their operations and it has made this a requirement to secure a new licence.
It is also supporting the development of CCS and has pledged £20 billion to try and build up capacity over the coming decades.
We take a look at CCS and how it could help with climate change.
What is CCS?
Carbon capture and storage is the process of catching carbon dioxide (CO2) as it is emitted from a power station or factory, preventing it from going into the atmosphere, and then storing it underground.
It works only for CO2 and not other greenhouse gases such as methane or nitrous oxide, though CO2 is the most problematic as it stays in the atmosphere for centuries, locking in long-term warming.
Current technology captures around 90% of CO2 emitted but this is expected to increase.
How does it work?
CO2 is captured at source, compressed and liquified and then taken to caverns underground or beneath the sea where it is injected down to a depth of hundreds of metres.
Empty oil and gas reservoirs can be used if the geology is appropriate and companies are planning to use their extraction rigs to pipe down liquid CO2.
Net Zero Secretary Grant Shapps said he wants to create a new industry where the UK will store captured carbon from other countries and store it under the North Sea.
It is hoped CCS will capture eight billion tonnes of CO2 globally by 2050.
Will it help stop climate change?
To an extent. CCS technology is not yet developed enough to balance CO2 emissions this decade; only deep and rapid emissions cuts can prevent the Earth heating beyond 1.5C of pre-industrial average temperatures, scientists have said.
CCS will be needed in the long term, however, as some industries such as cement-making are almost impossible to run without fossil fuels and will need a more mature CCS industry to balance out emissions.
The climate change committee, which plans the Government’s net zero path, has said CCS is necessary but it must also be coupled with a decline in fossil fuel production.
Direct air capture is another form of CCS to take CO2 directly out of the atmosphere, though this process is currently too expensive and energy intensive to be useful at the scale needed.
Where is CCS being used?
There are about 30 CCS projects in operation around the world and the UK Government wants to support domestic development with £20 billion funding.
READ MORE: UK must 'max out' North Sea oil and gas to go green, minister claims
Two projects, in north-east Scotland and the Humber, have just been given the go ahead to begin constructing CCS plants.
They are in highly industrialised areas which should reduce the need to move captured CO2 over long distances.
Why is CCS controversial?
Many environmentalists see it as an excuse for the fossil fuel industry to maintain production and profits instead of cutting back to save emissions, hoping CCS technology will eventually mature.
It is still too early for CCS to make any significant contribution to lowering greenhouse gas emissions, with no guarantee it will eventually mature, and scientists have said that demand for high-carbon industries must fall in the absence of sustainable technology.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel