Cleaning up dirty coal

According to the Guardian, the Conservatives are set to take the moral high ground on coal-fired power stations. Apparently, next week they will announce a policy to set a strict limit on CO2 emissions from new coal power stations that would rule out any being built without carbon capture and storage technology (CCS). This is similar to a policy already in place in California.

Carbon capture technology works by separating and liquefying carbon dioxide emitted by power plants. This is then stored deep underground, often in depleted coal or gas fields. Although still unproven on an industrial scale, and expensive, estimates suggest that the technology could cut global emissions by between 28-50% by 2050. Recent reports from the Policy Exchange thinktank and WWF have criticised the government for appearing half-hearted on CCS technology. as did a letter to the John Hutton from the eminent scientists of the Royal Society.

When it comes to CO2 emissions, coal burning is the dirtiest form of energy generation. However, the government is planning to build a new generation of coal-fired power stations with the requirement only that they be 'capture-ready' to fit the new technology when it is proven - an insufficient guarantee. The first of these would be the controversial new power station at Kingsnorth, which has caused outrage among environmentalists.

The Environmental Audit Committee is currently carrying out an inquiry into the government's policy on carbon capture and storage. The chair of the committee has already been quoted in the Times calling the government 'reckless' for backing new coal power stations with no guarantee if or when CCS would be available. On this one, the Conservative party seem to be ahead of the game.