UK. Government reaffirms commitment to Carbon Capture and Storage
The Government today announced the next steps on the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) demonstration programme, after the conclusion of negotiations for a CCS demonstration project at Longannet in Scotland. A decision has been made not to proceed with Longannet but to pursue other projects with the 1 billion pounds funding made available by the Government. The decision balances the UKs low carbon ambition with the need to ensure taxpayers money is invested in the most effective way. 1bn will be available for a new process and we are expecting a number of promising bids from both Scotland and England. Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change said: CCS is a key technology for the UKs long term energy strategy. A billion pounds is enough to demonstrate this vital new technology in the UK, but its got to be spent in the most effective way. Despite everyone working extremely hard, weve not been able to reach a satisfactory deal for a project at Longannet at this time, so weve taken the decision to pursue alternative projects. The Governments long term vision for CCS deployment together with an industry action plan will be set out when the selection process for further CCS projects is published. Ministers will meet with industry leaders to discuss next steps and lessons learned at the Carbon Capture and Storage Development Forum on Wednesday 2 November. Editors note: For more information about the Governments policy on Carbon Capture and Storage please see the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) web pages. The CCS Development Forum was formed in July 2010 and meets twice a year. It has around 40 members drawn largely from industry directly involved in delivering CCS in the UK, plus representatives from the international, academic and NGO communities. It is chaired by the Secretary of State or Minister of State. Its remit is to help overcome barriers to CCS by bringing DECC and stakeholders together and to provide a challenge function to the OCCS. All findings gained through the Front End Engineering and Design studies will be published and made freely available on the DECC website to help speed up the wider deployment of CCS both here and abroad. Last Updated ( Wednesday, 19 October 2011 )
Sven-Erik Horsch, Falkone,is Keiler Wocke Platu 25 champion
The guys from the North, at the end, won the Kieler Woche in the Platu 25 fleet, becoming the new 2011 Champions. Sven-Erik Horschs boatFalkone, with Ole Von Studnitz as a tactician with his crew from Hamburg, Lubeck and Kiel, has been leading the regatta all over the four days (23-26 June). There was just a shiver down to their spine in the last races, when they risked to be surpassed by Flexi helmed by Florian Spalteholz. But, despite a fifth and a ninth (discarded) in the last two races. Falkone conquered the first step of the podium, followed by Flexi that is second at same points. The third is for Daniel Naucks Immac that maintained the position from the first day without giving up ever. During the regatta also a very personal challenge was on: the participation of the Swiss Markus Sigrist and Lukas Gerig. They used to sail, indeed, on board of the Swiss Sailart-Team, the boat that won the 2010 Kieler Woche with the Platu 25. So, in Kiel they were hysically the defenders of the title, even if on board of other boats. Markus Sigrist sailed on Randale helmed by Ingo Lochman, that concluded fourth, and Lukas Gerig on board of Flexi. So Lukas Gerig arrived very near to his goal and its probably a bitter hoax to have reached the second step of the podium at same points with the winner. From the 23rd to the 26th of June Nineteen German Platu 25 took part in the Kieler Woche, one of the most appreciated and famous regattas all over Europe, with hundreds of crews of different classes coming from everywhere. The technical level was pretty high as the curricula of the winners confirms. Falkone, the new Kieler Woche Champion, for example, has just conquered the third step of the podium in the Platu 25 World Championship in Gmunden, Flexi and Immac have always been very competitive boats in the German Championship. After a very short summer break, the next International appointment for the Platu 25 fleet will be in Brunnen, on the Luzern Lake, Switzerland, from the 26th to the 28th of August for the third Act of the 2011 Platu 25 Alpen Cup. Final overall after 10 races and one discard: ace-results.kielerwoche.de/link Platu 25 Sabrina Bonaiti: Platu 25 English edited by Kev Scott (Thailand NCA) See Keile Woche images Last Updated ( Monday, 27 June 2011 )
Audi MedCup : Scallywags and warriors to the fore in Cartagena, Bribon and Ngoni lead into the second half.
Team spirit, hard focus and smart sailing were just some of the keys Bribons telling consistency over three demanding races off Cartagena where the iconic Spanish sailing team now lead the Region of Murcia-Cartagena Trophy regatta by two points ahead of Italys Audi Azzurra Sailing Team. For sure, when it comes to tight racing where places were won or lost on the finish line, decided by an extra boost by one wave, crew morale and the feeling of home support at the first regatta of the season to be hosted in Spain, might be the unseen components to Bribons regatta leadership. Two second places backed up by a third in breezes from 11-15kts and a building choppy sea ensured that Bribon was the best scoring team of the day along with Audi Azzurra. The team which sails under the flag of the Yacht Club Costa Smerelda twice executed from strong strategic game-plans to win Races 5 and 6 in the 52 Series. Kevin Sproul and the mainly British crew of Ngoni extended their lead in the 40 Series fleet with a pair of back to back race wins and a second in their third race of the day, now standing five points ahead of the Audi MedCup Circuit leaders Iberdrola Team. In the close, tactical racing Tony Buckinghams team were able to extend twice to solid wins, suffering slightly in the third race when a spinnaker twisted. But behind them the Spanish rivals Iberdrola and NH Resorts finish the second day of racing locked on 12 points apiece. Cartagenas race track was once again tough to master for the afterguards, with some many different factors to account for, not least the awkward choppy swell which progressively builds and bounces back off the high, bluff cliffs. Downwind the swell could be a blessing, but almost always a curse upwind. The Franco-German crew of Audi Sailing Team Powered by ALL4ONE, lead by Jochen Schuemann (GER), won the days first race after their start from pin, left end of the start line and were able to lead for most of the race, finishing just three seconds ahead of Bribon. In the second race of the three, Audi Azzurra Sailing Team were quick to recognise a potential benefit on the right and delivered a good start at the committee boat end of the line and lead Bribon across the finish line. The Spanish teams industry down the final run, working right and arriving with pace and extra wind pressure allowed them to gain two places on the last leg of the course. And Guillermo Paradas team which finished second in Cagliari last month, cemented their promotion to second overall at the this regatta with another win, their third of the regatta, in the final race of the day. The Italian duo of Vasco Vascotto on strategy and Francesco Bruni were at the top of their game as they read the right shifting breeze to stay ahead of Germanys Container to the finish line. It proved an especially testing day for the current World Champions and Circuit leaders Quantum Racing (USA) who seemed to struggle at times for pace in the awkward swell and made some small tactical errors which cost them, finishing 6,4,7 for the day, to spend a lot of their Audi MedCup Circuit lead, their weighty average for the day contrasting with that of their main title rivals Container who finished five boats ahead of them in the final race today. There was no mistaking the dominant team in the Soto 40s over the first two races as Ngoni twice started better than Iberdrola, the bench mark crew of the season so far, but the Spanish crew were well ahead in their race win. The 52 Series fleet are expecting to race their high points value coastal race tomorrow, while the Soto 40s should sail two windward-leewards. Regin of Murcia Trophy - Cartagena 52 Series Results after six races: 1. Bribn (ESP), 2+5+1+2+2+3= 15 points 2. Audi Azzurra Sailing Team (ITA), 5+1+4+5+1+1= 17 points 3. Container (GER), 7+4+3+4+3+2= 23 points 4. Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS), 1+3+5++3+7+6= 25 points 5. Quantum Racing (USA), 3+2+6+6+4+7= 28 points 6. Audi Sailing Team Powered by All4One (GER/FR), 4+7+7+1+5+5= 29 points 5. RN (SUE), 6+6+2+7+6+4= 31 points 8. Gladiator (GBR), 9(DNC)+9(DNC)+9(DNC)+9(DNC)+9(DNC)+9(DNC)= 54 points 40 Series Results after five races: 1. Ngoni (GBR) 2+1+1+1++2= 7 points 2. Iberdrola Team (ESP) 4+2+2+3+1= 12 points 3. NH Resorts (ESP) 1+3+3+2+3= 12 points 4. Patagonia by the Australian Team (AUS) 3+4+5+4+4= 20 points 5. cruiser-racer.com (ESP) 5+5+4+5+5= 24 points Ignasi Triay (ESP) trimmer, Bribon (ESP): The pressure is always there and its the same if you first, third or fifth. It is such a competitive fleet. Maybe we feel more support here in Cartagena from the local citizens, they always turn out to greet us when we come in, they are pushing and that always helps. But we come here with a very strong feeling after winning the Kings Cup, we feel we can do it and we believe in ourselves. We have a good tactician and a good team, I think the team was working so hard because some times we were not so good, but we just kept pushing. Ed Reynolds (USA) project manager Quantum Racing (USA): For sure nobody is making it easy, it is great for the MedCup because I really think this is going to be tight to the end. Us? I dont think we were very fast today, tactically we were weak, our starts were average. And with this fleet any minor mistake is just exploited so hard. It is such a completely different dynamic from last year. Kevin Hall has always driven the performance of the boat, the modes, this is where we want to go, he is always been such a key part of the success that we have had. Ed and Ado are pretty low key, low profile personalities compared to Terry, who just rapped it. We have to work a little bit on personalities, how do we come to good decisions, making sure that everybody understood the strengths and weaknesses of each other, so we are using every tool in the toolbox. We need to sit down and talk about what is going on, who what where and why. But there is nothing we cant do a little better. Kevin Sproul (GBR) skipper-helm Ngoni (GBR): This is the first regatta where there had been a bit less wind and it has been a chance to work the boat hard, the same for the some of the other boats. We have learned a lot from Iberdrola, we have watched them they are very good and slick, and they are always very good on the start line and so we have focussed on getting at least as good a start as them. Sabina Mollart-Rogerson See Med Cup images Last Updated ( Friday, 26 August 2011 )
