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Malta International Risk Management Initiative

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Commonwealth Business Forum 2015 24th ‐26th November, St Julian’s, Malta “Adding Global Value: Creating a More Prosperous Commonwealth”

I enjoyed the Business Forum – about 1200 delegates with a wide range of interests. The sessions were wide ranging and informative. The MiRMi stand celebrated the 200 year old anniversary of the invention of the Miner’s safety lamp by Sir Humphry Davy – designed to eliminate the risk of methane explosions in coalmines.  MiRMi stand at CHOGM Business Forum

The Interim Business Forum Communique and Report  to Heads of Government is available below.

Commonwealth Business Forum 2015 Interim Communique and Report to Heads of Government-2

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If the lights stay on, they will not be green

MIS Carbon 7f

The attached file is a copy of a presentation I gave recently to the Mining Institute of Scotland. I have tried to show how reliance on electricity generation by wind power without storage threatens continuity of supply. When there is insufficient indigenous supply, the UK National Grid will resort to imports generated by fossil fuels and nuclear, or back up from distributed generation in the UK using gas and diesel. The end result is that like it or not, wind power without significant storage is not a totally green and guaranteed solution to electricity generation. Indeed the uncertainties involved have cause the IEA to down rate the UK’s energy rating from AAA to AAB.

The observations made above are particularly relevant to Scotland, which intends to generate all electricity by renewables by 2020. By that time there will be no back-up from coal, and the future of the one remaining gas station looks uncertain. And nuclear will go by 2026.

So while we have to undoubtedly move to reduce CO2 emissions, this needs to be done in a manner that guarantees continuity of supply until such time – 10 years from now?- that sufficient storage can be provided to allow for intermittent wind power.

A significant risk to be managed.

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Were Risks Managed over Europe 8/10/15?

The journey by direct flight from Edinburgh to Malta on 8/10/15 used a different route  to normal because of an Italian and French air traffic controller strike. The skies seemed busier than usual judging by vapour trails visible in the distance. I was taking photographs out of interest – then this happened. It’s the closest I’ve knowingly been to another plane in the air. So were the risks managed in the air over Europe 8/10/15?

Contrail
Near miss? at 30,000ft
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Presentation at the CHOGM Business Forum Malta 2015

The presentation attached will feature on the MiRMi stand at the CHOGM forum. It celebrates the 200 year anniversary  of the coal miner’s safety lamp, technology invented by Sir Humphry Davy in 1815 order to manage the risk of methane gas explosions as coal mines went deeper, producing the fuel for the industrial revolution in Britain and abroad.

But our understanding  of the effects burning coal on the environment and  global warming means that new technology must be developed in order to produce fuel from coal more cleanly – the answer is to combine Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

For example, this combination applied in the UK would supplement the electricity generated by wind power, which can be intermittent, and provide an energy bridge until adequate storage can be provided.

So let’s start out on a project in an ethical manner using the best possible understanding and technology, delivered with enlightened management that allows for the continued development of understanding and technology. This will enable natural resources (including people) to be developed in a sustainable manner.

CHOGM Risk Management

 

 

 

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