Government puts carbon capture on fast track
The Guardian (1st July 2008) reports that the UK government has stepped up the pace of change in the battle against global warming by announcing a shortlist of four bidders pre-qualifying for its carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration project and outlining a proposed new legislative framework for “clean coal”. Among the bidders are E.ON, which wants to use CCS for its controversial Kingsnorth coal-fired station in Kent, and BP, which recently scrapped plans to develop a trial project in Scotland because ministers appeared to be moving too slowly to meet its own internal timetable. Scottish Power and Peel Power are also included. John Hutton, the industry secretary, said CCS had the potential to capture 90% of carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations and its deployment would dovetail with a wider strategy which included renewable and nuclear generation. CS is a system whereby carbon usually emitted from power stations is removed and transported to a place for indefinite storage. Different stages of the process have been demonstrated but the whole process has not yet been applied to power plants on a commercial scale. There are questions about the technology and cost. Most interested companies say they would need financial incentives. Independent experts said carbon capture was an exciting opportunity. “It is the great panacea. It would mean not having to do the hard things like changing the way we live,” said Michael Grubb, chief economist at the Carbon Trust. “The trouble is that while everybody says it can be done, no one has yet done it. There are very big companies out there with very deep pockets but even they are not doing it.” Meanwhile E.ON yesterday welcomed a high court decision to award legal protection for part of the Kingsnorth power station site ahead of the 2008 protest Camp for Climate Action. Climate campaigners fear E.ON will construct a new coal plant there with or without CCS
Read the full story by Terry Mcalister at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/01/climatechange.fossilfuels