Scottish Center for Carbon Storage creates academic posts for biochar researchers
Carbon capture will have a crucial role in mitigating climate change through reduction of existing power plant emissions and improvements in management of biomass carbon. A large EPSRC grant award enables the creation of six new academic posts and the recruitment of 6 research associates and 10 to 20 doctoral students at the Universities which make up the Scottish Center for Carbon Storage (SCCS) to develop research excellence in the field.
The SCCS is a research collaboration between Edinburgh University, Heriot-Watt University and the British Geological Survey.
Two methods for CO2 capture have been targeted: intervention in power plant and industrial processes through physical capture systems, and intervention in natural biological processes exploited by forestry and agriculture, in particular biochar. Applications are now invited from innovative and enthusiastic researchers of proven high quality. You will develop and validate the science, engineering and socio-economic insights, which will create real operational capture systems. The six posts will be linked through the Centre for Carbon Storage, which already hosts a critical mass of expertise in geological carbon storage.
Four permanent posts at the University of Edinburgh will be in the areas of:
energy :: sustainability :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: biomass :: carbon capture and storage :: carbon-negative :: biochar ::
You should have a relevant PhD in science, engineering, or a specified social science. You must have ambition to create a centre of world significance, lead research strategy, develop funding opportunities, recruit students, as well as develop technologies, processes and procedures to meet the needs of industry - or enable creation of new industries.
You will be provided with support to create working links across the UK, EU and worldwide, develop industrial and stakeholder consortia, and MSc and CPD programmes.
All positions will be appointed in the range £27,466 - £41,545.
More information here: Renewable Energy Jobs.
Article continues
The SCCS is a research collaboration between Edinburgh University, Heriot-Watt University and the British Geological Survey.
Two methods for CO2 capture have been targeted: intervention in power plant and industrial processes through physical capture systems, and intervention in natural biological processes exploited by forestry and agriculture, in particular biochar. Applications are now invited from innovative and enthusiastic researchers of proven high quality. You will develop and validate the science, engineering and socio-economic insights, which will create real operational capture systems. The six posts will be linked through the Centre for Carbon Storage, which already hosts a critical mass of expertise in geological carbon storage.
Four permanent posts at the University of Edinburgh will be in the areas of:
- Engineering systems assessment for biochar
- Soil science for biochar
- Socio-economic technology assessment of biochar
- Modelling and optimisation of adsorption processes at power plant scale
- Membrane technology for pre and post combustion capture systems, with interest in mixed mode membranes.
- Novel CO2 separation systems, e.g. high efficiency gas/liquid contact.
energy :: sustainability :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: biomass :: carbon capture and storage :: carbon-negative :: biochar ::
You should have a relevant PhD in science, engineering, or a specified social science. You must have ambition to create a centre of world significance, lead research strategy, develop funding opportunities, recruit students, as well as develop technologies, processes and procedures to meet the needs of industry - or enable creation of new industries.
You will be provided with support to create working links across the UK, EU and worldwide, develop industrial and stakeholder consortia, and MSc and CPD programmes.
All positions will be appointed in the range £27,466 - £41,545.
More information here: Renewable Energy Jobs.
Article continues
Thursday, August 07, 2008
EU crop yield forecast: 16% increase in cereals output
The year 2007 was an exceptional year with high agricultural prices. Reasons for the sharp increase were unfavorable weather conditions in key growing areas, high oil prices and speculation in the agricultural commodity markets. According to the Commission, biofuels, which take up less than 2% of all farm land in the EU, played a 'marginal' role.
The 2008 yield forecast for cereals is 5 tonnes per hectare across the EU and thus significantly higher than last year and the average over the past five years. The total EU27 area used for cereals in 2008 is estimated to have increased by 5 % compared to 2007, due to a 0 % set-aside rate and high cereals prices.
Looking at individual crop figures across the EU27 over the past five years and as of August 5th 2008, the latest yield forecasts show the following trends:
- soft wheat:5.6 t/ha (+4.8%)
- durum wheat: 3.1 t/ha (+12.8%)
- barley: 4.4 t/ha (+5.7%)
- grain maize: 6.9 t/ha (+9.5%)
- rape seed: 2.9 t/ha (-2,1%)
- sunflower: 1.6 t/ha (+1.7%)
- potato: 26.5 t/ha (-1.1%)
- sugar beet: 70.3 t/ha (+19.0%)
The greatest increase is for sugar beet, cultivated mainly in northern Europe, with the main producers Germany and France, which benefited from favourable meteorological conditions, increasing yield forecasts significantly.Maize yield is expected to be 20.1% higher than last year and 9.5% higher than the past five years' average, with very high yield increases for Romania (+122%), Bulgaria (+193%) and Hungary (+94%), countries that had been suffering from drought last year:
energy :: sustainability :: ethanol :: biodiesel :: biobutanol :: biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: agriculture :: cereals :: EU ::
The winter of 2007/2008 was rather mild, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, but cooler than the exceptionally mild winter of 2006/07. Temperatures followed a seasonal course with warmer average temperatures compared to the long term average (period 1975–2007) for Central and Eastern Europe.
June and July have been slightly cooler for France, northern Spain and the United Kingdom, representing favorable conditions for still active crops.
Rainfall throughout the season has been abundant and well distributed for Spain but has led to over-wet situations in France and northern Italy. On the other hand, northern Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and Denmark experienced a long lasting dry period starting in spring and continuing into June 2008, coupled with some high temperatures. This situation has impacted primarily upon winter crops and led to lower production and local failures.
In spite of heavy rainfall at the end of July in Romania, overall weather conditions for the countries hit by last year's drought have been good.
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posted by Biopact team at 11:09 PM 0 comments links to this post