(Press-News.org) Professor Patricia Thornley welcomes latest UK energy security plans
But calls for more exploration of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage
She believes plans shouldn’t concentrate solely on energy such as wind and solar power.
A leading biomass scientist at Aston University has welcomed the government’s announcement to ensure UK energy is more secure.
However, Professor Patricia Thornley, director of Aston University’s Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI), believes the government shouldn’t just concentrate on energy such as wind and solar power.
She is calling for the government to explore the use of power bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (or power BECCS).
On 30 March the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published the Powering Up Britain: Net Zero Growth Plan, and the Powering Up Britain: Energy Security Plan to set out steps to make the UK more energy independent, secure and resilient.
Professor Thornley believes that the UK’s carbon reduction targets could be tackled by delivering negative emission BECCS projects. The process uses sustainable biomass and waste materials to generate electricity in combination with carbon capture and permanent storage. Through this physical removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, power BECCS is able to deliver negative emissions.
Professor Thornley said: “It is wonderful to see the government moving forward with its carbon reduction plans, whilst recognising the scale of the challenge faced.
“Bioenergy is delivering carbon reductions around the UK today - 62% of our renewable energy and around 13% of our electricity comes from biomass - and developing sustainable biomass conversion with carbon capture and storage (CCS) would be a natural progression for the UK.
“So it is good to see commitment to CCS, but to fully leverage the UK’s negative emission potential we need BECCS technology to be rapidly deployed.”
EBRI and the Supergen Bioenergy hub, which is led by Aston University, are working on applied research to progress this ambition.
Professor Thornley added: “Our research at Aston University has demonstrated the potential for sustainable BECCS facilities to deliver a substantial proportion of UK required negative emissions but that the exact amount of negative emissions achieved can vary hugely with plant design and operational choices. So we hope to use our knowledge and research outputs to support UK deployment of sustainable bioenergy moving forward.“
As well as her research at Aston University, Professor Thornley has been contributing her expertise to a government working group exploring the sustainable use of biomass for two years.
END
Aston University biomass expert calls for more exploration of power bioenergy with carbon capture and storage
2023-04-04
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
DMI allows magnon-magnon coupling in hybrid perovskites
2023-04-04
An international group of researchers has created a mixed magnon state in an organic hybrid perovskite material by utilizing the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya-Interaction (DMI). The resulting material has potential for processing and storing quantum computing information. The work also expands the number of potential materials that can be used to create hybrid magnonic systems.
In magnetic materials, quasi-particles called magnons direct the electron spin within the material. There are two types of magnons – optical and acoustic – which refer to the direction of their spin.
“Both optical and acoustic magnons propagate ...
New study in JNCCN identifies approach for improving end-of-life conversations for people with cancer
2023-04-04
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA [April 4, 2023] — New research in the April 2023 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds that specially trained oncology infusion room nurses can improve advance care planning (ACP) for patients with advanced cancer. In this study, oncology nurses underwent an immersive, three-day training session on palliative care. As compared to patients who received standard care, those who participated in this targeted and specialized intervention had a ...
Those who support Black Lives Matter tend to be less hesitant about vaccines, UCLA study finds
2023-04-04
Efforts to encourage vaccination might do well to take advantage of the positive feelings and actions between different social groups, according to a study of attitudes toward vaccines among supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The study by UCLA psychologists, published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, found that across all racial, ethnic and income groups, people who expressed support for the BLM movement were less hesitant about receiving COVID-19 vaccines than those who did not. The evidence suggests that altruistic feelings about interactions between ...
Women’s geographic access to fertility treatment “significantly higher” in the richest parts of Britain, analysis shows
2023-04-04
Geographic access to IVF and other fertility services is significantly higher in the richest parts of Britain, a new study shows.
Researchers have warned the current locations of clinics is likely reducing opportunities for those living in more deprived parts of the country to get fertility treatment.
Opportunities to have a baby may thus be influenced by a geographical lottery.
In 2020 nearly a fifth of local authorities did not have fertility clinics within a radius of 25km, meaning 1.6m women of reproductive ages had no assisted fertility ...
Was plate tectonics occurring when life first formed on Earth?
2023-04-04
Earth is a dynamic and constantly changing planet. From the formation of mountains and oceans to the eruption of volcanoes, the surface of our planet is in a constant state of flux. At the heart of these changes lies the powerful force of plate tectonics—the movements of Earth’s crustal plates. This fundamental process has shaped the current topography of our planet and continues to play a role in its future.
But what was plate tectonic activity like during early Earth? And was the process even occurring during the time when life is thought to have formed?
“The dynamic tectonic ...
AI tool gains doctors’ trust by giving advice like a colleague
2023-04-04
ITHACA, N.Y. – A new Cornell University-led study suggests that if artificial intelligence tools can counsel a doctor like a colleague – pointing out relevant research that supports the decision – then doctors can better weigh the merits of the recommendation.
The researchers will present the new study in April at the Association for Computing Machinery CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
Previously, most AI researchers have tried to help doctors evaluate suggestions from decision support tools by explaining how the underlying algorithm works, or what data was used to train the AI. But an ...
The American College of Chest Physicians warns of impact of Braidwood Management ruling
2023-04-04
The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) opposes the federal court’s March 30, 2023, ruling in Braidwood Management Inc. v. Becerra and applauds the Department of Justice for acting so swiftly to appeal this decision. Judge O’Connor’s remedies strip the guarantee of no-cost preventative benefits away from the 151 million people insured by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and currently have access to care, such as smoking cessation services, guideline-indicated lung cancer screening, and tuberculosis testing.
“CHEST’s ...
Chen Institute partners with ISSCR to establish fellowship for Stem Cell Reports Early Career Editorial Board
2023-04-04
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is delighted to announce a partnership with the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute, establishing a fellowship program to support members of the Stem Cell Reports Early Career Editorial Board (ECEB). The program facilitates attendance at the ISSCR Annual Meeting, mentoring opportunities, and the development of scientific programs that will cultivate and deepen leadership skills.
The Chen Institute Fellowship is designed to directly support ECEB members financially and in career growth. Broadly, activities supported by ...
Oncotarget at AACR Annual Meeting 2023
2023-04-04
Impact Journals (Oncotarget's publisher) is proud to participate at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2023, which convenes April 14-19 in Orlando, Florida.
BUFFALO, NY-April 4, 2023 – Impact Journals will be participating as an exhibitor at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2023 from April 14-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. This year, the AACR meeting theme is: “Advancing ...
Forsyth microbiologists discover a regulatory mechanism that keeps cancer-causing bacteria in check
2023-04-04
Cambridge, Mass. - Researchers at the Forsyth Institute have discovered an important mechanism that may have profound implications for how we prevent colorectal cancer. Oddly enough, their discovery began in the mouth.
Colorectal cancer is the second most deadly cancer, killing over 52,000 people a year. Increasing evidence indicates Fusobacterium nucleatum, an opportunistic oral pathogen is one of the factors causing colorectal cancer. Fusobacteria are often found in healthy mouths, living in balance ...