BRUSSELS Up to six “clean coal” power stations are set to be built across the European Union after Brussels gave its backing to €1bn (£924m, $1.5bn) of funding for carbon capture projects.
Carbon capture technology, which involves burying greenhouse gas emissions deep underground, will be built in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Italy.
CCS technology is seen as essential if the world is to continue using fossil fuels for power generation while making the deep cuts in carbon dioxide emissions that scientists say are needed to fight the threat of global warming.
A meeting of leading economies’ energy ministers in London this week issued a statement urging delegates to the Copenhagen climate talks in December to “recognise the importance of CCS in mitigating climate change”.
The chosen CCS projects, which must still obtain formal approval from the European parliament next month, rely on different strands of CCS technology. The aim is to have a dozen plants running by 2015, and for derived technology to be made available by 2020.
Europe is in competition with the US for first-mover advantage in that potentially vast global market. The EU has led the way until recently, but signs of slippage in its programme have raised fears that it will fall behind the US.
Richard Budge, the chief executive of Powerfuel, the expected British recipient of the EU money, said he hoped to start construction of the plant by next spring and have it in full operation by the start of 2015.
Friday’s announcement was met with dismay from environmental groups, however. Frauke Thies, Greenpeace EU renewables policy campaigner, said: “Investment in this unproven technology does nothing to end our dependence on fossil fuels. Even if carbon capture works out, it won’t come online soon enough to make a difference in the fight against climate change.”
All projects will receive €180m each, except the Italian project, which will receive €100m. Officials said a small French project was likely to be added to the list by the time it is approved by parliament.
