Warsaw (Platts)--19Mar2008

Poland is planning to build at least two new power plants using Carbon
Capture and Storage technology, economy minister Waldemar Pawlak said late
Tuesday.

"We are undoubtedly the best country for the implementation of clean coal
technology. As much as 95 percent of Poland's electricity comes from coal.
That's why we want to start at least two installations to capture and store
CO2," Pawlak said during a Clean Coal Technology Conference in Katowice,
southern Poland, according to a government statement.

"Currently the economy ministry has received for CCS projects," said
Pawlak, who is also deputy Prime Minister, adding that Poland will seek EU
funding for the projects. Pawlak gave no further details. He said that the
country is looking at alternatives uses of coal, for example gassified coal.
"There is an interesting scientific project using coal-nuclear synergies using
a high temperature reactor in the investigative phase," he said.

A government-backed business initiative to promote CCS was launched on
February 25, Pawlak said.

The European Union's energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs, also at the
conference, said new coal technologies could play an important future energy
role. "Modern coal technology can be the answer to the growing demand for
energy while at the same time reducing the negative influence of this fuel on
the environment," he said, according to the ministry's statement.

MEP Jerzy Buzek, the vice president of the European Energy Forum told the
conference that Poland already had "concrete" CCS proposals and could have two
installations in place by 2015. The EEF's role is to facilitate discussion
between members of Europe's Parliament, the commission and business and
science sectors.