National Grid boss sets out the energy challenge that faces us all

National Grid is taking a close look at CCS and how it can apply its skills in building and operating high pressure gas transmission pipelines to transport carbon dioxide (CO2) from power stations and heavy industry to storage offshore. The company is working as part of the ScottishPower CCS Consortium to deliver the Longannet project and is developing a CO2 network on Humberside, allowing a cluster of power stations or other heavy industry adopting CCS to use the same pipeline infrastructure. National Grid believes that CCS clusters would be a practical and economic way of transporting CO2 avoiding wasteful duplication of each building using its own separate pipeline to transport CO2.

The international electricity and gas company is keen to see the UK take the lead in developing this technology.  The component elements of CCS are well understood, but the company wants to see a large-scale end to end demonstration from the power plant to the storage field through an integrated CO2 transportation network.  To this end, National Grid has committed £600,000 of funding for CCS research at The University of Nottingham.

Mercedes Maroto-Valer, Professor in Energy Technologies, is Head of Energy and Sustainability Research Division and leads the National Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage, a joint venture between The University of Nottingham and the British Geological Survey. She said: “Mr Holliday’s visit to the Centre will be an opportunity to hear more about the research, training and outreach activities that are going on at the Centre. We are delighted to be able to share our vision to develop one of the world’s first integrated research centres in CCS that will be well placed to take advantage of a new industry that could deliver greater CO2 reductions by 2050 than any other single technology and in the UK alone CCS could be worth £6.5bn and create up to 100,000 jobs by 2030”

Mr Holliday graduated from The University of Nottingham in 1978 with a degree in mining engineering. He spent 19 years with the Exxon Group and went on to become Executive Director of British Borneo Oil and Gas before joining National Grid in March 2001. He became the company’s Chief Executive in January 2007.

Steve Holliday, National Grid Chief Executive, said: “Our energy future is one of the most important challenges of the age.  It’s a hugely exciting time to be working in the industry, and I’m very pleased to be coming back to my old university to talk about it. CCS can play a vital role in both keeping the lights on and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, so I look forward to seeing the work of the National Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage first hand.”

Mr Holliday’s lecture takes place on Tuesday March 22 2011 at 12noon to 12.50pm in the Lecture Theatre B52, Nottingham University Business School South, Jubilee Campus, Nottingham NG8 1BB

To book a place please email events@nottingham.ac.uk


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