Is this credible …?

I don’t want to hi-jack Robin’s thread so I am starting this

… Happy to let it live or die as the forum sees fit

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As “Engineers” … How convinced are we by this statement:

[quote]

How can green gas replace fossil fuels?

Across the UK, we still heat our homes and businesses using fossil fuels – mainly natural gas. About 1% of the gas we supply today is green gas from sustainable sources. The rest is carbon neutralised gas – we invest in carbon reduction programmes to cancel out the carbon burned.

This isn’t our ideal solution, and at first, we thought the best route was for the country to switch from gas to green electricity for its heating and cooking. However, we now see green gas as the way forward. We believe we can build enough green gas mills – making biomethane from grass cuttings – to replace natural gas in the grid. When the grass grows back, it absorbs the carbon dioxide created by burning green gas. Then we cut the grass and make more green gas, and the sustainable cycle repeats itself.

[/quote]

MichaelG.

Have a look at the Ecotricity accounts, directors etc.....................

Jim

The farms where I live grow maize to feed the biogas reactors. It is the quickest way to get biomass apparently. They can grow a crop of maize then something else after it is cropped. You can tell it is for biomass as the cropping just shreds the whole plant and squirts the resulting small pieces into a trailer. I don't think grass grows fast enough unless you choose bamboo and that is a bit hard to control and may be more climate sensitive.

Martin C

Round here I think that farmers use the whole maize plant chopped up to make maize silage for cattle feed.

Rod

We could possibly produce all our own " green " energy if all farms switched to biomass, solar panels and wind turbines. At least we could keep warm while we are starving to death . . .

Perhaps we should look at the vast resource we apparently pump into the sea in the form of raw sewage. It would seem more credible to use that as a source of biomass, with the added benefit of using the solid by-product as fertiliser, and the purified water can be recycled into the reservoirs. Our local water company are already supplying treated sewage water through our taps. One side benefit from this is less limescale in the kettle.

Mike.

Anyone fancy a beer ?

Thought not !

Ecotricity have a product called Vegan Energy; it is grossly expensive and is plain ridiculous in trying to fool the buyers that this is what comes out of their gas main. Whatever next I wonder!

Brian

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Just watching the video that’s linked in that quote was enough for me, Jim

MichaelG.

Does that mean that the government will issue yet another waste bin for grass

What happens when the grass doesn't grow?

Martin.

Well, technically yes. If you burn ancient gas then you release Co2 in a linear process. The more gas you use the more CO2 you make. The challenge is to convert the linear process into a closed cycle. One of the was that this can be done is produce your gas from plants, burn the gas making CO2 and heat, harness photosynthesis in a new generation of plants to draw down CO2 and build organic molecules. Ferment or biodigest the organics to make gas and the loop is closed. The energy input is the sun which drives the cycle and the output is heat to your cooker or gas boiler. Downsides are the amount of land you need for energy rather than food and the overall efficiency of the loop.

As far as the carbon offsetting is concerned it's a tricky calculation as both behaviour internationally (does it just move the emmissions and consequences abroad) and nationally do we stop doing all the other things that can help the situation.

regards Martin

Hi, I was thinking much the same as Martin (Blowlamp) if we get many summers like the one we've just had and all the grass turns brown, will they have to suspend using the gas until they can harvest a new crop of grass. I suppose the fuel used in the harvest is in the carbon equation? I haven't read all of their statement.

Regards Nick.

It's a scam. Since when were grass clippings packed with enough energy to power anything more than a lukewarm composter?

Martin.

It's the old problem 'heat or eat' if you use all the fields for grass, as farmboy says 'At least we could keep warm while we are starving to death ' We are in for some interesting times ahead boys and girls, I wonder what the new ships captain will come up with.

Tony

The green brigade ( theyre definitely green allright ) have been at it again, plus brainless politicians .....

Edited By Roger Williams 2 on 04/09/2022 13:37:01

Using agricultural land to produce energy reduces the amount of food that we can produce, so solves one problem by creating another. For too long finite resources have been assumed to be infinite. The real problem is always ignored, that there are simply too many people trying to consume these resources. However, if we get to the position of producing an excess of green electricity, this could be used to hydrolyse water to produce hydrogen (and oxygen) to provide a clean fuel.

Sailing ships and windmills seemed quite successful at the time.

I wonder what is the biggest difference between then ............. and now ?

Or just use the excess of green electricity...

I think we need to acknowledge that there are simply too many people on this planet and all the resources are finite. If fusion does solve our energy problem we still need food. We may eventually produce products to sustain life that may be enjoyable to eat as well as nourish us. While we still can I will have a steak and a pint of real ale.

Mike

Edited By Mike Poole on 04/09/2022 14:55:30

… and nobody’s even mentioned all that concrete they are pouring to make these Green Gas generators.

MichaelG.