Scientists add to calls for government to sort carbon capture policy

The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has received its third call in as many days for greater clarification on the government's plans for promoting clean coal and carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems in the UK, after the Royal Society urged it to increase support for the technology.

In a letter to business secretary John Hutton, the Royal Society argues that planning permission for new coal-fired power stations, such as that currently being considered at Kingsnorth in Kent, should only be granted on the condition that operating permits will be withdrawn if they are not capturing 90 per cent of their emissions by 2020.

The call follows hot-on-the-heels of a report from the TUC urging the government to step up its support for CCS and calls from energy giant E.ON for BERR to delay granting planning permission on its proposed Kinsgnorth coal-fired power station until it has finalised the regulations that will govern the installation of carbon capture systems.

Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society, warned in a letter to Hutton that the UK's reputation as a leader in the fight against climate change, its ability to meet its carbon reduction targets and the opportunity to export CCS technologies to developing economies will all be at risk if it fails to sort out its CCS policy.

"Allowing any new coal-fired power station, such as Kingsnorth, to go ahead without a clear strategy and incentives for the development and deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology would send the wrong message about the UK's commitment to address climate change, both globally and to the energy sector," he wrote.

Rees also argued that current mechanisms designed to promote the adoption of carbon capture, such as the price on carbon delivered through the European emissions trading scheme, are proving inadequate and that clearer policy signals are required to encourage energy firms to invest in the technology.

In addition, he called upon the government to extend its current competition for the construction of demonstration CCS plants, arguing that the timeline for the project needs to be accelerated.

"The competition you recently announced could lead to the UK building the first demonstration plant, but will only apply to one 300Mw coal-fired power station, will only apply to one technology type, and will not be in operation until 2014," he wrote. "This initiative could be strengthened by undertaking further collaborative work at an EU level to develop a broader range of CCS technologies."

The letter will raise further questions about the scale of the government's support for CCS and prompt further calls for a moratorium on any new coal-fired power plants until CCS has been fully tested and the regulations and incentives governing CCS are in place. BERR was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.