Britain plans power station capable of capturing 90 pct CO2 emissions

The British government announced Friday that it will fund the industrial research and feasibility work of a proposed coal-gasification power station, which will be equipped with carbon-capture-storage (CCS) technology and can capture and store 90 percent CO2 emissions.

According to a statement from the government, a total amount of 4.2 million pounds (6.62 million U.S. dollars) will be provided for the research of the project, which is planned to be built in Grangemouth, Scotland.

This large scale low-carbon power project aims to combine and integrate state-of-the-art coal gasification, 579 megawatt power generation, and carbon capture technologies in a single facility, according to an official statement.

The proposed power station will be fitted with CCS technology designed to capture 90 percent of CO2 emissions which would then be transported via existing on-shore pipelines and existing sub-sea pipelines for permanent geological storage 2 km beneath the North Sea.

CCS could be crucial in helping Britain meet its ambitious climate change goals, said Ed Davey, former secretary of state for energy and climate change.

"Developing CCS more widely is vital if it is to become cost-competitive technology, and I'm excited at the prospect of Grangemouth contributing to the UK's low carbon future," he added. Endit