The first coal-fired power station purpose-built to capture carbon emissions for storage under the North Sea was announced yesterday. The £1 billion plant is expected to be built on Teesside.

Carbon-capture technology will bring its emissions close to zero. Coal will be used to power the plant but rather than burning it, as in conventional generators, it will be gasified under pressure and its constituent parts separated.

Hydrogen from the coal will be burnt in gas turbines to produce electricity while the carbon dioxide, held largely responsible for global warming, will be syphoned off. Once separated from other gases, the gas will be pumped along pipes to the North Sea, where it will be stored beneath the sea floor.

The development was announced by Centrica, the utility company, and Progressive Energy, a clean energy firm. The plant will be the biggest of its kind in the world and, if successful, will provide a blueprint for low-carbon electricity generated using fossil fuels.

The development should be a boon for the British coal industry, as Centrica hopes to use local supplies. Once in production the plant will use two million tonnes of coal each year and extract five million tonnes of CO2.

Despite the low carbon emissions, Greenpeace condemned the proposal. A spokesman said: “This plant will lock us into another 50 years of wasted energy. Like all our outdated, crumbling power stations, this proposed plant will waste two thirds of the energy it generates as thrown away heat.”

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Sarah Brown says 'no thanks' to veal at G8 - twice
• Stockton-on-Tees is obesity capital of Britain
• Stores blame poor sales on Murray factor