Daresbury developing green coal

WORK on trying to develop a “green” alternative to coal to reduce world dependence on fossil fuels is being carried out in Warrington.
Liverpool-based green energy company Sea2Sky Energy UK Ltd has brought its Research and Development operations to the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Innovations Technology Access Centre (I-TAC) at Daresbury.
It aims to develop the technology in co-operation with STFC to produce a low-carbon alternative that could fuel existing coal-fired power stations.
Evidence shows that this type of power station and use of fossil fuels in general, contribute significantly to global warming and people throughout the world are looking for a solution.
Using the £3million high-tech equipment at I-TAC start up company Sea2Sky Energy UK is refining an existing technology known as torrefaction. This technology can be used to convert organic waste (such as roots, branches and leaves) to produce a biocoal which could be used alongside or replace coal in existing power stations.
Either way, the existing coal-fired power station infrastructure would still be utilised, but in a much cleaner way.
Torrefaction is a highly complex process which involves the thermochemical treatment of biomass at 200 to 300 °C, carried out under atmospheric conditions and in the absence of oxygen. During the process the biomass partly decomposes, giving off various types of gas. The final product is a remaining solid, known as the torrefied biomass.
Richard Walton, managing director at Sea2Sky said “Sea2Sky recognises the world’s need for alternative fuels and more ‘carbon neutral’ heat and power sources.
“It is our mission to identify and develop the best technology to address this issue. Using managed forests the world has a sustainable and environmentally responsible supply of biomass for the technology we are developing, and any waste from the process can even be recycled to fertilise these forests. Daresbury Laboratory’s I-TAC has given us access to an unrivalled range of equipment and specialists that would not have otherwise been available to us.”