clean coal

Coal

Although the world has access to enough clean energy to meet our energy needs six times over, it also has an abundance of coal.

Globally coal is the greatest climate threat we face, contributing more to global warming than any other fossil fuel. Coal contains more carbon than other fossil fuels , so it releases more carbon than the other fuels when it’s burned.

Coal is used to produce nearly 40% of the world’s electricity and governments around the world are allowing industry to spend billions of dollars on new coal-fired power stations. Hundreds are currently under construction or in planning.

Article tagged as: CCS, clean coal, climate change, coal, electricity, fossil fuels, kingsnorth

The problem with carbon capture and storage (CCS)

Posted by bex - 3 January 2008 at 2:50pm - 16 Comments

E.ON is arguing for its new coal plant on the basis that it will include carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. So, is CCS is a silver bullet? Or is it just another false solution, touted by an industry desperately trying to stay relevant in a carbon constrained world?

CCS is a means of separating out carbon dioxide when burning fossil fuels, and then dumping it - underground, or else at or under the sea bed.

CCS isn't commercially viable; there are no commercially operating CCS plants in the world. And for all the industry's obfuscation, the new plant at Kingsnorth won't be able to capture and store carbon; it will just be ready to incorporate CCS should the technology ever become viable in the future.

Article tagged as: CCS, clean coal, climate change, coal, kingsnorth

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