Cheat sheet: The Kingsnorth Power Plant

What's this Kingsnorth then? Is it the service station we stopped at on the way back from Glasto?
No, but you aren't that far off. It is a station, but not a service station. It is a coal-fired power station in Kent – and a damned big one at that. It is run by German energy firm E.ON, which has put forward plans for expansion. Controversial plans, which have plenty of government support and are widely expected to receive planning approval.

So what's all the fuss about?
Everyone is talking about Kingsnorth because it's become the bete noire of climate protesters, particularly the Camp for Climate Action which last week undertook high profile protests against the plant. Apparently, they are up in arms, and in some cases glued to banks, in an attempt to highlight their opposition to E.ON's plans. In fact, they are so cross, 50 of them ended up getting arrested.

So why are they so anti-Kingsnorth?
Well, as you know, coal is one of the dirtiest fossil fuels around, and Kingsnorth Two would represent the first new coal fired plant in the UK in 30 years. It would also represent the first in a wave of similar proposals that could result in a whole new generation of coal-fired power stations being built to replace the UK's ageing fleet. Many green groups maintain that if they are built, the UK can wave goodbye to any chance of hitting its emission reduction targets, being taken seriously as an international leader in the fight against climate change, and, in the longer term, huge swathes of low lying land.

And all environmentalists are against this?
Erm, not quite. Some argue that if we are being realistic, the UK's decision on coal will not make a lot of difference as China, the US and India will continue burning coal regardless. The answer, they say, lies in building new coal plants but fitting them with CCS.

CCS? That's that Brazilian band isn't it?
No. CSS is a Brazilian band. CCS is carbon capture and storage – a technology that captures carbon emissions from power plants and pumps it under ground where it is stored.

Sounds good to me. Why don't they just fit that then?
While CCS may sound good, it is extremely expensive and is yet to be used at large scale plants. Greenpeace has said that talk of fitting CCS is being used as an excuse to push through what amount to nothing more than a lot of new coal-using power stations. Whether this is the case or not, the group claim it is 'unproven' and has advised caution on its use. Others, most notably Malcolm Wicks, say we must at least give it a go.

Malcolm Wicks? One of Dirty Den's erstwhile sons?
No. He's the energy minister and he is arguing long and loud that CCS is our last best hope against climate change and if we can develop it properly, we can cash in by selling the technology to India and China. He gave an interview to the Guardian – and I like to imagine him on his knees throughout, face raised to the skies and fists pressed against his temples – arguing Kingsnorth is our only chance to give CCS a go. And if we don't, get used to sharing the high street with homeless penguins and polar bears.

I'd quite like that?
You're the only one.

So why don't they just give Kingsnorth the go ahead, but make sure it has this CCS stuff fitted?
I'm afraid that would be far too simple. The government does want to invest £1bn in a CCS demonstration plant, but this has to be open to competition and Kingsnorth is just one of a number of projects in the running for the cash. Meanwhile, the government has said if it green lights Kingsnorth, it must be " carbon capture ready", but has not yet defined exactly what it means by that and a final decision is not expected until September. Moreover, if Kingsnorth does not get the £1bn from the government to fund the new CCS technology, E.ON will not be under any legal obligation to install it.

So the site would be "CCS ready", but would not have any CCS?
You've got it. The government hopes that because energy firms now have to pay for the carbon they emit through the European emissions trading scheme, it will make sense for them to invest in new CCS systems. But of course we do not know what the exact price of carbon will be in the future, nor do we know how much CCS systems will cost, so there is no way for the energy firms to work out whether it will be worth their while to install the systems until a few demonstration projects are up and running. Meanwhile, E.ON is pressing on with its plans for Kingsnorth, protestors or not.

So what happens if Kingsnorth is not chosen as the demonstration site for CCS and E.ON can't see the economic case in installing the technology itself?
The UK has a lovely new, coal burning plant, and potentially, more than just the one.

What will that mean for the planet?
Don't ask.