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Green groups hopeful of underground coal gasification ban Scots government 'cannot support' underground coal gasification
(about 4 hours later)
Scotland's energy minister is to make a statement on the future of underground coal gasification (UCG) in the country. The Scottish government has said it "cannot support" underground coal gasification, after a new report raised environmental concerns.
Environmental groups have said they hope Paul Wheelhouse will announce a ban on the controversial method of converting underground coal into gas. Energy minister Paul Wheelhouse told MSPs that the gas extraction technique "poses numerous and serious environmental risks".
The Scottish government imposed a moratorium on UCG last year while its potential impact was examined. He said it would have "no place in Scotland's energy mix at this time".
A wider moratorium on unconventional oil and gas extraction, including fracking, also remains in place. Green groups welcomed the news, but the Conservatives said they were "deeply disappointed".
Mr Wheelhouse's statement to Holyrood will follow the submission of a report by former Sepa chief executive Prof Campbell Gemmell, who was tasked with carrying out an independent examination of UCG. Mr Wheelhouse said separate reports on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, would be published after the parliamentary recess, with a consultation on that technique to follow.
UCG is a method of extracting gas from coal seams that are too deep underground to be mined using traditional techniques.UCG is a method of extracting gas from coal seams that are too deep underground to be mined using traditional techniques.
Energy firm Cluff Natural Resources had planned to build the UK's first deep offshore UCG plant at Kincardine in Fife, which would have extracted gas from coal seams under the Firth of Forth.Energy firm Cluff Natural Resources had planned to build the UK's first deep offshore UCG plant at Kincardine in Fife, which would have extracted gas from coal seams under the Firth of Forth.
Cluff had claimed UCG could generate £13bn pounds for the UK, with almost half of it being retained in Scotland. It also estimated almost 5,000 jobs could be created in Scotland. But the plans were on hold while the Scottish government waited for an independent examination of the technique from Professor Campbell Gemmell of Glasgow University.
But it halted work on the Kincardine project last year until the political debate on the issue was resolved. UCG licences in the Firth of Forth and Solway Firth were also held by firm Five Quarter, although the company collapsed earlier this year.
UCG licences in the Firth of Forth and Solway Firth were also held by firm Five Quarters, although the company collapsed earlier this year. Prof Gemmell's report said it would appear logical "to progress toward a ban" of UCG, due to a history of incidents of pollution elsewhere and risks of impacting on greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr Wheelhouse said: "Having considered the report in detail, it is the Scottish government's view that UCG poses numerous and serious environmental risks and, on that basis, the Scottish government cannot support this technology.
"Accordingly, UCG will have no place in Scotland's energy mix at this time."
The Scottish government said it would continue to use planning powers available to it to ensure UCG applications do not receive planning or environmental permission.
The minister has also written to the UK government to request that it issues no further licences for the technique in Scotland, and asking for existing licences to be revoked.
A moratorium on UCG had been imposed last year alongside a wider one covering fracking techniques, which still remains in force
What is underground coal gasification?What is underground coal gasification?
The UCG process has been around since the 19th Century, but is only now becoming commercially viable thanks largely to technological developments and the rising price of gas.The UCG process has been around since the 19th Century, but is only now becoming commercially viable thanks largely to technological developments and the rising price of gas.
Its supporters argue it is a new and cleaner way of extracting the estimated 85% of the world's coal reserves that are too deep to mine using traditional techniques.Its supporters argue it is a new and cleaner way of extracting the estimated 85% of the world's coal reserves that are too deep to mine using traditional techniques.
According to Dr Harry Bradbury, founder and chief executive of UK company Five-Quarter, this process results in 20% of the CO2 produced from traditional coal mining.According to Dr Harry Bradbury, founder and chief executive of UK company Five-Quarter, this process results in 20% of the CO2 produced from traditional coal mining.
But environmental campaigners have claimed UCG is a risky and experimental technique, with a "very chequered history" around the world.But environmental campaigners have claimed UCG is a risky and experimental technique, with a "very chequered history" around the world.
Read more hereRead more here
When it introduced the moratorium, the Scottish government said it was treating UCG as a separate technology to onshore unconventional oil and gas, which includes hydraulic fracking. The move was welcomed by green groups and some political parties.
It said it was adopting a "cautious, evidence-based approach" to both techniques, with a separate moratorium on UCG allowing the necessary time for "full and careful consideration of the potential impacts of this new technology". Friends of the Earth Scotland said the decision was "a victory for people power".
The separate studies into fracking, which involves pumping pressurised water and chemicals into shale beds to release gas, had been due to report back in the summer of this year. Head of campaigns Mary Church said: "Setting coal seams alight under two of our major Firths was always a reckless idea and today the Government has listened to communities and put an end to this risky industry."
But they now look unlikely to be submitted until after next week's SNP conference. And WWF Scotland said it was "great news for the environment", voicing hopes that ministers would also ban fracking.
Many grassroots SNP members voiced strong opposition to fracking at last year's party conference. For Scottish Labour, Claudia Beamish welcomed the move and also called for all other unconventional extraction techniques to be banned.
And there were protests from environmental campaigners when the first shale gas from the US was shipped to the Grangemouth plant last month. Green MSP Mark Ruskell said the government had validated the concerns of communities, calling for amendments to planning policy to make the block legally watertight.
'Scientific evidence' And Lib Dem Liam McArthur said allowing UCG "would have been a backward step as we work to cut emissions".
Commenting ahead of Mr Wheelhouse's statement on UCG, Scottish Greens MSP Mark Ruskell said anything less than an outright ban would be deemed an "environmental failure of the government to stand up to pressures from the oil and gas industry". 'Deeply disappointed'
His comments were echoed by environmental groups including WWF Scotland and Friends of the Earth, who both called on the government to ensure UCG was never carried out in Scotland. But the Scottish Conservatives said they were "deeply disappointed" by the move, with energy spokesman Alexander Burnett calling it "yet another missed opportunity".
But Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Alexander Burnett said UCG and fracking had the potential to create thousands of jobs and boost the economy at a time when the North Sea oil and gas industry is in decline. He said: "These technologies could create thousands of jobs, boost the economy and lower future energy bills.
He added: "The Scottish government has chosen to ignore scientific evidence and has kept these difficult issues on the back burner for political reasons. "The SNP is at great pains to say how different fracking and UCG are - perhaps their biggest similarity is the SNP's dogmatic objection to them both.
"The minister has the opportunity to send a clear signal to investors that Scotland is open to business opportunities from new energy technologies." "If we don't start embracing these technologies, we risk getting left behind altogether."
Meanwhile, the UK government has given the go-ahead for horizontal fracking in Lancashire, in what is seen as a landmark ruling for the shale gas industry. And Cluff Natural Resources said it was "obviously disappointing", noting that "we have no doubt that UCG will be developed elsewhere in the world and the opportunity for Scotland to benefit from first mover advantage will have been lost".
The news comes on the same day as the UK government gave the go-ahead for horizontal fracking in Lancashire, in what is seen as a landmark ruling for the shale gas industry.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has approved plans for fracking at Cuadrilla's Preston New Road site at Little Plumpton in Lancashire.Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has approved plans for fracking at Cuadrilla's Preston New Road site at Little Plumpton in Lancashire.
But second site, Roseacre Wood, has not yet been given the green light amid concerns over the impact on the area.But second site, Roseacre Wood, has not yet been given the green light amid concerns over the impact on the area.