Skip to main content

Coal-fired Power Stations

Volume 451: debated on Monday 6 November 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on new initiatives to make all new coal-fired power stations carbon neutral. (99338)

The Department allocated £35 million for the demonstration of carbon abatement technologies, which include both cleaner coal and carbon capture and storage. The first call is worth £10 million with the remaining £25 million being split between two additional calls in the future. Some £20 million annually is also allocated in the Department's technology programme for research and development into a range of clean energy technologies including carbon abatement technologies.

The EU emissions trading scheme is intended to provide a strong commercial incentive for the take-up by new and existing coal-fired power stations and other carbon emitting installations of these technologies, if and when they become a cost-efficient way of reducing or avoiding carbon emissions.