http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/49332/story.htm
(((Might as well; if SOMEBODY doesn't bury the carbon, Holland goes underwater anyway.)))
Link: Planet Ark : Dutch Eye Role as CO2 Capture and Storage Hub .
NETHERLANDS: July 14, 2008
ROTTERDAM - Rotterdam is seeking to extend its role as an energy hub to become a carbon dioxide (CO2) collector for north West Europe, leading players in the Rotterdam Climate Initiative said on Friday.
Home to Europe's biggest port, a major hub for oil, coal and biofuels, Rotterdam is counting on plans to capture and store CO2 in old gas fields so it can pursue industrial development and also meet ambitious targets to cut emissions by 2025.
The initiative, a platform for local authorities, groups and companies to work together to fight climate change, also wants to develop a Dutch system for CO2 transport and storage which could eventually serve the wider north west European region.
"Rotterdam is perfectly located to become a CO2 hub for north west Europe," said Maarten de Hoog from DCMR Milieudienst Rijnmond, an environmental protection agency for the area and a key member of the initiative.
"A lot of CO2 sources are close together here, so it is cheaper to connect them to one central system. Our industry is also near the sea which holds the most realistic option for large-scale storage," he said in an interview with Reuters.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS), which works by burying C02 deep underground, is seen by industry and some lawmakers as the most vital technology in the climate change fight as it could curb emissions from coal and other fossil fuel plants.
But it has never been tested on a commercial scale and is opposed by some environmentalists who argue it is unsafe, will not be ready in time and could divert investment away from truly green sources of power. (((You use the Dutch windmills to suck carbon out of the sky and bury it under the sea. Get with it, people. Real carbon sequestration is about re-sequestering the carbon that's already up there.)))
The Dutch government has invested 30 million euros (US$47.42 million) in pilot projects and has plans to commit a further 60 million euros by the end of the year, though the initiative says it will need a lot more to achieve its goals....
