The Chairman of the Environment Agency, Lord Chris Smith, has welcomed the Government’s consultation on carbon capture and storage – the next step towards ‘clean coal’.
The Chairman of the Environment Agency, Lord Chris Smith, today (Wednesday) welcomed the Government’s consultation on carbon capture and storage - the next step towards ‘clean coal’.
Lord Chris Smith said:
"This is a big step forward for UK climate policy. The Government’s decision not to build any new coal power stations without carbon capture technology offers real hope of a new era of ‘clean coal’. It is an essential element of any sensible energy policy for the next 20 years and is vital in our fight against climate change.
"The proposal for up to four large scale demonstration projects in the UK will help ensure the technology is robust and we welcome the proposed role for the Environment Agency in assessing when the technology is proven and should be retrofitted.
"The Environment Agency recognise that there are still some significant issues to address including contingency plans should it take longer than anticipated to prove the technology. We will be working with the Department for Energy and Climate Change to ensure such obstacles are overcome."
ENDS
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