Sep 20 - The Journal - Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Calls were last night made for the development of clean coal plants overseas to be quickly copied in the region.

The world's first coal-fired power station, which emits virtually no pollution, opened in Germany earlier this month.

The plant is fitted with technology which allows it to capture 90% of the carbon dioxide it would normally send into the atmosphere.

The CO2 is then liquified and put in special storage tankers underground, before being transported to caves.

As previously reported by The Journal, coal giant RWE npower is examining the feasibility of a clean coal plant of its own on the site of the former Blyth Power Station, at Cambois in Northumberland.

Industry expert Andrew Cox, an energy environmental consultant based in Newcastle, last night said RWE npower and any other companies considering developing in the North East would have to copy the German example of being 'carbon capture ready'.

He said: "There seems to be a sense developing that by the end of the next decade all new power stations will have to have carbon capture storage."

However, Mr Cox added: "There are a great number of issues affecting the building of a plant like Cambois, it would be at least five to seven years before they started working on Cambois if they decide to go ahead with it because all these different issues have got to be resolved first."

The German plant is a demonstration site with carbon capture and storage technology still regarded as unproven, having come under fire from environmental groups

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