Coal needs to go green - Wicks

Friday 17 February 2006

Coal power needs to become more environmentally friendly if it is to form a major role in the UK’s energy supply long-term, Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks has claimed. Speaking at the Coal UK conference in London this week, Mr. Wicks outlined the importance of the fossil fuel at the moment – meeting 50% of average weekday demand – but called for an increase in carbon abatement technology take-up to limit coal’s green impact.

“Cleaner generation is essential if coal is to survive the shift to sustainable forms of energy. I am encouraged that more two-thirds of the UK's coal-fired power stations have signed up to meet tough new limits on sulphur and nitrogen emissions. Nevertheless, current projections in the Energy Review show that by 2020 coal may only account for 16% of our electricity,” said the Energy Minister.

Discussions over the Energy Review have so far centred on the possibility of a new nuclear programme, and last week the ongoing role of renewable technologies was bouyed by positive Government indications.

"The biggest barrier to coal's future is carbon dioxide and its contribution to climate change. It is this which is driving the development of carbon abatement technologies the world over. Carbon capture and storage, for example, has the potential to eliminate up to 95% of CO2 emissions, cleaning up the environmental impact of traditional fossil fuels such as coal,” added Mr. Wicks.

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