DTI studies CO2 segregation plan

The DTI has announced a £40 million package to investigate the feasibility of storing carbon dioxide from power plants in depleted North Sea oil wells. The grant will also fund demonstration projects for clean coal and fuel cell technologies.

The £25 milllion Carbon Abatement Strategy includes CO2 sequestration and clean coal technologies. Launching the strategy, Prime Minister Tony Blair said: ‘We’ve consulted the industry closely, and it’s clear that the long-term benefits of capture and storage, which could reduce emissions from power plant by up to 85%, merit significant investment now.’

The remaining £15 million of funding is directed at a Hydrogen Strategy, including the establishment of a Hydrogen Coordination Unit. This will coordinate research on hydrogen production, storage and distribution, and on fuel cell technologies. Adam Chase from Anglo-Swiss technology consultancy E4Tech, who was involved in the strategy, comments:

‘Although the technical and economic challenges are significant, hydrogen’s long-term potential is so great that the UK should put itself on a path to reap these benefits.’