ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS

Having a still active consulting interest in air pollution control, especially for electric power generation, I came across a pair of articles in the January 3, 2008 issue of Power Engineering International related to China. It should be noted that China, like the US has huge coal reserves. Both will be generating the majority of its electricity by coal for many years into the future, with China surpassing the US within the next few years.

1. China's first carbon capture and storage plant to be operational by 2009. In Tianjin, China’3^rd largest city, about 90 km southeast of Beijing, the world’s largest carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) capture and storage is planned to begin operation in 2009as a joint venture between a group of state owned enterprises and a US firm, Peabody Energy. The collected carbon from the 650 MW plant will be approximately 0.17% of the carbon emitted by coal-fired electrical generation in China. The big engineering issue will be how effectively the huge amounts of carbon dioxide, which is sequestered, can be permanently stored.

The significance of this new installation indicates an emerging interest in the potential for climate change and its effects in China. As an indication on the possible effect of rising ocean levels upon China, I roughly did an examination of Chinese costal cities and their elevation above sea level. To my surprise I saw that many were at or were even below sea level. Furthermore there were cities located upon rivers, some distance upstream of the ocean, which were also essentially at sea level. Perhaps China has recognized the potential disaster that might occur if its low-lying cities become inundated as a consequence of the ocean’s rising. Consequently they may be starting to do something about the problem and to more, importantly, set an example to the rest of the World.

2. China's Three Gorges project generates 61.6bn kWh of electricity in 2007. China's Three Gorges hydropower project generated 61.6bn kWh of electricity last year, about 25 per cent more power than in 2006, according to the operator, China Three Gorges Project Corporation. The 21 turbine/generators, currently online, produce 13,300 MW of electrical power equivalent to about 20 of the Tianjin units (see above). When outfitted with the remaining turbine/generators. by 2012, the projects power output will be increased by an additional 50%.

On the plus side the electrical power generated by Three Gorges will not be adding pollutants to the air that will affect either global climate or human health. Unfortunately there are other environmental issues surfacing, about the Three Gorges project that may eventually far outweigh the benefits.

The January 26^th-February 1^st, 2008 issue of The Economist has an interesting article on the ability of ‘The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA)’ to improve the severe environmental issues in China. The currently “toothless” SEPA may be raised to the ministerial level in the near future to give it more power.

In the US, the EPA operates under legislation that is backed up by the judicial arm of the Government. Judicial power can work two ways by either backing EPA decisions or by forcing it to follow the legislation. Making EPA observe the legislation will be tested once again shortly. The courts will determine whether the Bush politically appointed EPA Administrator can deny California’s request for a wavier that will allow it to control greenhouse gasses more rigorously than does Federal Legislation.