Post by marchesarosa on Apr 2, 2012 13:55:30 GMT 1
Info from Richard Courtney, someone in the know!
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I was working at the UK’s Coal Research Establishment (CRE) in the 1980s when ‘Acid Rain’ was Europe’s ‘big scare’. It was being claimed that sulphur oxides (SOx) emitted from coal-fired power stations in the UK and Germany were causing ‘waldsterben’ (i.e. forest death in Germany and Scandinavia). SOx is very water soluble and the solution forms a dilute acid.
It was argued that flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) was needed to prevent emissions of SOx from coal-fired power stations which caused ‘acid rain’ that was killing the forests. (We now know the forests were expanding at the time, but that was not then known).
FGD adds about 20% to the capital cost and about 10% to the operating cost of a coal-fired power station. This is a major increase to the cost of coal-fired electricity.
The matter gained great importance because coal was the major source of electricity generation in the UK and Germany, but France had adopted nuclear power as its major electricity generation source. So, enforced addition of FGD to coal-fired power stations would improve the commercial and industrial competitiveness of France relative to the UK and Germany (i.e. France’s major competitors).
But I observed that the spatial distribution of the acidity of rain was not consistent with the scare. There was no evidence of ‘waldsterben’ near power stations which is where ‘acid rain’ should have been greatest (SOx is VERY water soluble). Importantly, greatest acidity of rain was near outflows from major rivers. Emissions from UK and German power stations would be required to cross high-deposition zones near river outflows if they were to reach Scandinavia.
I suggested that the increased acidity of rain and its spatial distribution of deposition were consistent with an acceleration of the natural sulphur cycle in the North Sea. Excess nitrogenous and phosphorous agricultural fertiliser was being transported to the North Sea where it was increasing growth of phytoplankton such that they emitted more dimethyl sulphide (DMS). This would explain the observed spatial distribution of the increased acidity of rain. And the explanation was supported by the fact that North Sea phytoplankton had increased to such a degree that the phytoplankton were forming toxic algal blooms that were affecting shores.
Upon investigation it was discovered that the agricultural explanation was correct. France had a powerful farming lobby so the ‘acid rain’ scare was quietly forgotten. But by then Europe’s Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) had been adopted as legislation to prevent SOx emissions from European power stations, and the jobs to impose and enforce the LCPD had been created.
The people fill those jobs need to justify their jobs so they keep reducing the emission limits decreed by the LCPD. The latest of these reductions is closing the UK’s remaining coal fired power stations in the next four years although the reason for the LCPD was disproved a generation ago.
Richard Courtney
PS
Please note that SOx emissions can be a problem especially near the emission sources. But the ‘acid rain’ scare and the LCPD are not relevant to this.
wattsupwiththat.com/2012/04/01/mercury-the-trickster-god/#more-60509
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I was working at the UK’s Coal Research Establishment (CRE) in the 1980s when ‘Acid Rain’ was Europe’s ‘big scare’. It was being claimed that sulphur oxides (SOx) emitted from coal-fired power stations in the UK and Germany were causing ‘waldsterben’ (i.e. forest death in Germany and Scandinavia). SOx is very water soluble and the solution forms a dilute acid.
It was argued that flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) was needed to prevent emissions of SOx from coal-fired power stations which caused ‘acid rain’ that was killing the forests. (We now know the forests were expanding at the time, but that was not then known).
FGD adds about 20% to the capital cost and about 10% to the operating cost of a coal-fired power station. This is a major increase to the cost of coal-fired electricity.
The matter gained great importance because coal was the major source of electricity generation in the UK and Germany, but France had adopted nuclear power as its major electricity generation source. So, enforced addition of FGD to coal-fired power stations would improve the commercial and industrial competitiveness of France relative to the UK and Germany (i.e. France’s major competitors).
But I observed that the spatial distribution of the acidity of rain was not consistent with the scare. There was no evidence of ‘waldsterben’ near power stations which is where ‘acid rain’ should have been greatest (SOx is VERY water soluble). Importantly, greatest acidity of rain was near outflows from major rivers. Emissions from UK and German power stations would be required to cross high-deposition zones near river outflows if they were to reach Scandinavia.
I suggested that the increased acidity of rain and its spatial distribution of deposition were consistent with an acceleration of the natural sulphur cycle in the North Sea. Excess nitrogenous and phosphorous agricultural fertiliser was being transported to the North Sea where it was increasing growth of phytoplankton such that they emitted more dimethyl sulphide (DMS). This would explain the observed spatial distribution of the increased acidity of rain. And the explanation was supported by the fact that North Sea phytoplankton had increased to such a degree that the phytoplankton were forming toxic algal blooms that were affecting shores.
Upon investigation it was discovered that the agricultural explanation was correct. France had a powerful farming lobby so the ‘acid rain’ scare was quietly forgotten. But by then Europe’s Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) had been adopted as legislation to prevent SOx emissions from European power stations, and the jobs to impose and enforce the LCPD had been created.
The people fill those jobs need to justify their jobs so they keep reducing the emission limits decreed by the LCPD. The latest of these reductions is closing the UK’s remaining coal fired power stations in the next four years although the reason for the LCPD was disproved a generation ago.
Richard Courtney
PS
Please note that SOx emissions can be a problem especially near the emission sources. But the ‘acid rain’ scare and the LCPD are not relevant to this.
wattsupwiththat.com/2012/04/01/mercury-the-trickster-god/#more-60509