UK carbon capture project within two years

Brussels - Funding worth up to £8 billion for the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects across Europe is part of the climate protection deal agreed last month between the European Union's 27 heads of states. The agreement means that CCS demonstration projects can be financed using 'surplus' allowances from the EU's emissions trading scheme.

According to Chris Davies, the Liberal Democrat MEP who championed the plan, the financial backing means that work on at least one CCS-equipped power station in the UK is likely to begin within two years. The MEP said an early start can now begin on construction of major projects to test and develop the new technology, which, he believes, is an essential bridging measure to combat global warming while alternatives to fossil fuels are developed.

In a statement Davies cited, for example, how electricity for the North West of England is provided by the huge coal-fired power station at Fiddler's Ferry near Widnes, which emits more than 8 million tonnes of CO2 annually. Although approaching the end of its working life, use of CCS technology could ensure that CO2 from any replacement on the site is stored in former gas reserves beneath the Irish Sea, he said.