UNic and MIHT to boost training in hydrocarbons | Cyprus Mail

September 11, 2014 - 0 Comments

UNic and MIHT to boost training in hydrocarbons

By Evie Andreou

A COOPERATION agreement for a comprehensive training programme on hydrocarbons was signed yesterday by the University of Nicosia and the Mediterranean Institute of Hydrocarbons Technology (MIHT).

The agreement aims to enhance education and training in the field of hydrocarbons to cover posts that will be created from the exploitation of the island’s natural wealth, as well as for research.

“Hydrocarbons are a blessing for Cyprus and will be a part of our lives for the next 100 years,” said University of Nicosia board chairman Nicos Peristianis.

He added that the sector will create several thousand jobs and that energy is most important in all aspects of life, while green development is something that has become part of our everyday life.

He also said that the two institutes will benefit greatly not only through knowledge transfer but also through research.

MIHT’s general manager Theodoros Efthimiou said that the discovery of hydrocarbons in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone and the effort for their exploitation found the government but also the business and educational communities unprepared.

“If initiatives are not taken for training, research, consultancy services and the import of technology, we will never benefit from the discovery of hydrocarbons,” Efthimiou said.

He said that MIHT has set as a priority to forge cooperation with local and foreign universities and higher education institutes because they believe that acquisition of knowledge and a technology culture on hydrocarbons must begin through the educational system.

The head of the centre for Green Development and Energy Policy at the University of Nicosia, Marios Valiantis, stressed the need for the proper management of Cyprus’s resources in order to minimise environmental consequences.

He also said that the protection of the environment is as important as the existence and the rational utilisation of the mineral wealth of a country.

Link to source: http://cyprus-mail.com/2014/09/11/unic-and-miht-to-boost-training-in-hydrocarbons/

Scotland and Cyprus agree link to study CO2 storage in eastern Med | Click Green

Scotland and Cyprus agree link to study CO2 storage in eastern Med

by ClickGreen staff. Published Wed 21 May 2014 00:01, Last updated: 2014-05-21

University of Nicosia agrees link-up with Scottish CCS industry group

Scientists from Scotland and Cyprus have formed a research partnership to study the viability of the storage of carbon dioxide(CO2) as part of a developing hydrocarbon industry in the eastern Mediterranean.

The agreement between the University of Nicosia’s Centre for Green Development and Energy Policy (CGD) and Scottish Carbon Capture & Storage (SCCS) will now seek funding for researchers from across the European Union to work together to identify likely geological CO2 storage sites beneath the Mediterranean Sea to the south of Cyprus.

Using methodology developed in previous SCCS projects to assess CO2 storage capacity in the North Sea, the scientists will study seismic data and other information to build a picture of storage sites – including depleted oil and gas reservoirs and saline aquifers – which could boost Cyprus’s capacity for tackling carbon emissions.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) – a chain of technologies that captures and stores CO2 from large point sources – could help countries manage their carbon footprint if used at commercial scale. However, CCS relies on the availability of suitable storage sites.

Professor Stuart Haszedine, a SCCS director, announced the Memorandum of Understanding between SCCS and CGD in a speech today at the All-Energy 2014 conference in Aberdeen.

Prof Haszeldine said: “Our research agreement with the University of Nicosia’s Centre for Green Development is an exciting development for SCCS.

“It brings together expertise from both research groups for the shared goal of opening up new opportunities for CO2 storage, as a fledgling hydrocarbons industry in Cyprus plans its future. It will also provide excellent training opportunities for staff and students.”

Dr Marios Valiantis, director of the Centre for Green Development and Energy Policy at the University of Nicosia said: “Cyprus is getting ready for what we hope will be a big new offshore oil and gas industry.

“The Government has said that it would like to progress plans for CCS too, following the European CCS Directive. This led us to the expertise of SCCS and Professor Haszeldine, and we look forward to working with SCCS to jointly develop some plans to put before the government of Cyprus.

“By developing Carbon Capture and Storage alongside the hydrocarbon industry, we aim to grow our economy without contributing to climate change.”

Link to source: http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/news/international-news/124657-scotland-and-cyprus-agree-link-to-study-co2-storage-in-eastern-mediterranean.html