R U I : Resource Use Institute Devoted to the wise use of natural resources

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Members of the I.O.M.M.M. 9th February
2005 19.00 hours. Lecture by C I Wilson B.Sc.,
F.I.Q. Member of the Resource Use
Institute Renewable Energy and Minerals
Consultant
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• Green Aggregate, Rock Caverns, Renewable Energy
  and Sustainable Development.
• By
• C I Wilson B.Sc., F.I.Q.
• Member of the Resource Use Institute

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Definition of Greenagg

• Greenagg (green aggregate) is defined as
  construction aggregate won in an environmentally
  acceptable manner from approved hard rock
  reserves.These reserves must be capable of
  forming hidden Rock Caverns designed to have a
  long term sustainable use eg. for the storage of
  renewable energy in pumped storage schemes.
• Greenagg will have additional environmental
  benefits in reducing carbon dioxide emmissions by
  increasing the efficency of renewable energy
  generation by reducing the problem of
  intermittent generation.
• Greenagg should be looked at as a new form of
  construction aggregate.It differs from Recycled
  or Conventionally won aggregates in that its
  winning creates a long term sustainable energy
  after use and at the same time minimises
  environmental impacts.

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Executive Summary

• Synergistic development of Scottish renewable
  energy and mineral resources through new concept
  of Green Aggregate.
• Development of unlined rock caverns for pumped
  storage systems.
• Code of Practice negotiated by local communities
  as lead player and other stakeholders.
• Enabling local communities to develop their local
  economy through financial inputs and marine
  infrastructure development.
• Long-term aim of developing renewable, resource
  centred, local economies.

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Executive Summary

• The lecture puts forward a new concept Green
  Aggregate - and how the concept can assist
  Scotlands peripheral coastal communities to a
  sustainable future, whilst at the same time
  contributing to Europes future requirements for
  construction aggregates and renewable energy.
  Green Aggregates are construction aggregates
  that are won by creating Rock Caverns inside
  Scotlands World Class Mineral resources. Green
  Aggregates minimise the environmental impacts
  caused by traditional open pit working. These
  impacts led the Scottish Executive and
  Environmental NGOs to oppose the proposed large
  quarry at Lingerbay in Harris on the grounds that
  the economic benefits were not outweighed by the
  damage to the environment. This decision
  effectively ruled out the development of
  Scotlands World Class Mineral Resources unless
  an environmentally acceptable solution could be
  advanced. The rock caverns produced and their
  end uses are what makes Green Aggregate
  sustainable and differentiates Green Aggregate
  from both traditionally won aggregates and
  recycled aggregates.

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Executive Summary - continued

• Green Aggregate working would create
  underground rock caverns for cost effective
  pumped storage schemes, which would be linked
  directly to the production of renewable
  electricity, thereby helping to solve the
  intermittency problems associated with renewable
  energy. Green Aggregate would also allow the
  peripheral communities access to renewable
  energy, even if not grid connected. The hidden
  honeycombing of our Scottish hard rock reserves
  would not deprive future generations of access to
  construction aggregates, the reserves are so
  vast, but would bequeath to them ongoing
  sustainable electrical storage and renewable
  energy facilities. The Green jobs created,
  along with new technology, would accord with the
  Scottish Executives objectives A Smart,
  Successful Scotland A Green Jobs Strategy
  Efficient Renewable Energy Local Resources
  development to benefit local communities.

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Executive Summary - continued

• Financial inputs, from both royalties and
  community shareholdings, and access to the marine
  infrastructure would then allow the local
  communities to develop and manage their other
  renewable natural resources and assist them
  towards a sustainable future. The long-term aim
  is a thriving local economy centred on the
  sustainable working of local resource systems.
  Access by the community to renewable electricity
  will greatly assist this aim. The background to
  this new concept and the practical steps needed
  to make it possible will be considered and the
  present constraints outlined.

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A Strategy Evolves for Green Aggregates

• Scotland World-class mineral resources.
• Traditional land-won quarrying by open-pit
  working unacceptable to the Scottish Executive.
• Environmental impacts not outweighed by economic
  benefits.
• Acceptable and agreed impact on the local
  environment.
• Integrate renewable energy minerals.
• Environmentally sensitive and sustainable
  development.
• Provide peripheral communities with a sustainable
  future.

Norway Maps
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Future Development

• Scotland has World-class natural resources of
  renewable energy and coastal mineral resources.
• Renewable energy has problems of intermittent
  generation and / or viable base load.
• Solution is Rock Caverns to provide Energy
  Storage.
• Green Aggregate would be produced and exported.
• Need to be worked in an Environmentally
  acceptable manner.

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Code of Practice Facilitated by Land Reform
Legislation

• Negotiated by the Local Community as lead
  stakeholder.
• All stakeholders including Environmental NGOs.
• Agree Terms Conditions to be met by
  Developer(s)
• Financial Benefit to Communities
• Direct Employment and Local Investment
• Negotiated Royalties and Potential Community
  shareholding
• All Before Planning permission is applied for.

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Rural Development Policy

• Strategy meets objectives of Land Reform
  Legislation in that local communities will be
  empowered.
• Green Aggregate provides Green Jobs.
• Regeneration of Communities.
• Up to 200 well paid green jobs per site.
• Sustainable Development.
• Economic Growth in declining communities.

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Community Benefits

• Financial inputs from legally agreed code of
  practice.
• Access to the development of marine
  infrastructure.
• Local communities develop other renewable natural
  resources.
• Progress towards a future hydrogen economy for
  both local use and export.

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Renewable Energy Problems

• Hard to store Electricity
• Needs to be used at time of generation
• Intermittent generation and demand
• Limitations of existing grid
• Environmental problems associated with wind-power

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Pumped Storage

• Ability to store energy until required.
• Resource available at time of need.
• Build up storage during low demand.
• Future Prospects
• Hydrogen Economy
• Energy Deficit in UK Europe

Cruachan Machine Hall
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Pumped Storage Cruachan
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Glensanda Glory Hole a future pumped storage
scheme ?
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The Key Rock Caverns Hidden INSIDE mountains,

• Uses
• Store electrical power in the form of pumped
  storage.
• Solves future problems of intermittent generation
  from renewable sources.
• Coastal Surge Chambers for Wave-Power Generation.
  
• Manufacture and store hydrogen.
• Sinks for Carbon Sequestration.
• Green Aggregate produced for the U.K. and
  European markets.

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Pumped Storage Energy Sources

• Cheap Sustainable Energy Sources in peripheral
  areas.
• Tidal, Offshore, Wind Generation.
• High Availability.
• ROC Applicability.
• Research Development Opportunities.
• Construction Opportunities.
• All contributing to and developing peripheral
  Communities.

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Pumped Storage Development

• Link to cheap Renewable Electricity Source.
• Electricity from renewable resources would be
  used to pump water from the lower cavern to the
  upper cavern.
• Water would be released from the upper caverns,
  generating electricity to solve the problems of
  intermittent generation and variable base load.
• Energy provided when required.

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Long Term Energy

• Surge Chambers for Wave-Power Generation.
• Manufacture and storage of hydrogen.
• The sequestration of carbon dioxide.
• Export Technology Concept.
• Energy Independent Communities without Fossil
  Fuel.

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European Market

• The European market for construction aggregates
  amounts to circa 2.7 billion tonnes per annum,
  worth over 25 billion.
• This is a market almost ten times bigger than the
  yearly export sales of Scottish whisky.
• Scotland is not able to access a larger share of
  this market as
• the current cost base of producing and
  delivering construction aggregates from Scotland
  is too high.
• Support for Green Aggregate could transform
  this situation.

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Coastal Mineral Deposits Geography

• Situated in Environmentally Sensitive areas
• High Scenic value
• Deep Water
• Opportunity for new sea routes

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Green Aggregates Energy Synergy

• Renewable Energy and Green Jobs Flagship
  Policies for Scottish Executive.
• Renewable Energy Developments.
• Need for Aggregates
• Supports Rural Development.
• Help U.K. meet Sustainable Energy targets.

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Coastal Quarries Objections Answered

• Rock Caverns minimise environmental impacts. An
  environmental mitigation scheme would be agreed
  for each site.
• Pollution from Quarry Dusts
• Dust is a marketable product
• Rock Fertiliser
• Construction materials
• Lack of Deep Sea berths/Harbours at markets
• Floating Trans-shipment Terminals available for
  Bulk Carriers
• Increased Road Transport at South East
  choke-points
• Use existing wharves for sea dredged aggregates

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Competition from Norwegian Minerals Industry

• 5000 Employed in this sector
• Mainly in Rural / Coastal Areas
• Norwegian Export market 4740 Million NKr
• Norwegian Export market 398.614 Million

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Dimension Stone Production
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European Aggregate MarketFor Norway!!!
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Aggregate sales ..Norway.
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Coastal Quarries A Blot on the Landscape . ?
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Current Scottish Executive View

• The Scottish Ministers did not think that the
  economic benefits outweighed the environmental
  damage and turned down the site proposed at
  Lingerbay in South Harris.
• No further large Coastal Quarries will be
  permitted in Scotland unless they are worked in
  an environmentally acceptable manner.
• The Scottish Executive believe there is no market
  now nor in the foreseeable future that would
  support any further workings of Scotlands
  Coastal Minerals as construction aggregates.
• Englands aggregate needs environmental
  problems for Scotlands Peripheral Communities.
• No research to find solutions to the working of
  Scotlands World Class Mineral Resources.

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Comparison North Sea Oil

• Oilfields had been discovered in the North Sea
  but the cost of extraction was much higher than
  in Saudi Arabia.
• The oil companies took a view to invest in
  winning North Sea Oil, even though the economics
  did not add up.
• This decision was fully vindicated as O.P.E.C.
  raised the price of oil on repeated occasions

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European Aggregates Industry

• The same is true for the European market for
  construction aggregates.
• Existing mineral reserves are being depleted and
  not being fully replaced with new reserves.
• Tough Environmental Conditions under Planning
  Permissions.
• Raises cost base for deposits.
• Increasingly Viable Market.
• Scotlands reserves could be worked to produce
  Green Aggregate to replace existing land won
  sources as these run out.

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Coastal Quarries - U.K. Government Policy

• O.D.P.M. recognition that Scotland has
  World-class resources of Hard Rock.
• Environmental problems associated with large
  Coastal Quarries would limit their number and
  location.
• Both the U.K. and the Norwegian Governments have
  endorsed the concept of large Coastal Quarries.
• More than 10 have been developed around the
  world.
• Scotland - One Coastal Quarry, Foster Yeomans
  Glensanda Quarry.
• Over 180 well-paid jobs are being provided in a
  remote location.
• Environmentally acceptable quarries could become
  a major Scottish export industry.

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Employment in Norwegian Mineral Industry
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Norway Aggregate Export Values
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Future Opportunities

• Closed-loop pumped storage system to manufacture
  and store hydrogen.
• Major benefits to non-grid connected peripheral
  communities.
• By-pass a dependence on fossil fuels.
• Allow the export of hydrogen.
• Export of Green Aggregate.

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Community Regeneration

• Community gains long term viability/future.
• Communities will have a lead role in development
  of the Code of Practice.
• Resolution of issues at earliest stages of
  proposals.
• Compatibility with Local Agenda 21.
• Integration of Environmental, Social economic
  policies.
• Provision made to safeguard Local Culture and
  Heritage.
• Community share in wealth generated.
• Local Environmental Impact reduced within working
  agreements.
• Provide Catalyst for further developments
• Improved local berths for fishermen
• New Sea routes / links to Europe

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The Challenges

• Convince Scottish Executive and Local Authorities
  of the value of this new concept Green
  Aggregate and Rock Caverns for pumped storage.
• Lobby European Union and U.K. Governments for
  support.
• Local Community to take the lead role.
• Put Fiscal Instruments in place to encourage
  early investment.
• Encourage leading U.K. energy and minerals
  companies to work together.

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Conclusions

• Scotland has World-class natural resources of
  renewable energy and coastal mineral resources.
  Renewable energy has problems of intermittent
  generation and / or variable base load.
• The working of a non-renewable mineral resource
  can pump-prime sustainable development.
• Green Aggregates and Rock Caverns can provide an
  environmentally acceptable solution.
• Scotland could become a World leader in
  developing Rock Caverns for pumped storage, surge
  chambers for wave-power, hydrogen manufacture and
  storage and their development as sinks for Carbon
  Sequestration.
• Scotland could become a World leader in the
  production of Green Aggregate.

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The Resource Use Institute,Devoted to the wise
use of natural resources.

• Founded in 1969.
• Multi-disciplinary college of independent
  consultants.
• Devoted to the sustainable management of physical
  resources.
• Great emphasis on holistic thinking,
• Integration between sectors of the economy.
• Recycling of wastes.
• Preservation of Communities and Cultural
  heritage.
• Resource Use Institute - www.rui.co.uk

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The Resource Use InstituteDevoted to the wise
use of natural resources.

• Further background information to this lecture is
  to be found on the R.U.I. website where papers
  contributed to by C I Wilson are available. C I
  Wilson can be contacted on iwilson_at_rui.co.uk

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