One to watch in coming years...

21/12/2005 12:31 Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs 
(National)
UK SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH CHINA ON NEAR ZERO EMISSIONS COAL-FIRED ELECTRICITY

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett today welcomed a UK/China landmark 
agreement on the development of clean coal technology with carbon dioxide 
capture and storage, which aims to reduce significantly the climate change 
impact from coal-fired electricity generation.

The project aims to demonstrate coal-fired power generation with carbon 
capture and storage technology in both China and the EU by 2020. It comes at 
a time when estimates show that carbon dioxide emissions from China's 
increasing coal use are growing rapidly.

The UK is leading the first phase of the demonstration project with £3.5m of 
funding from Defra and DTI. The three-year feasibility study will examine 
the viability of different technology options for the capture of carbon 
dioxide emissions from power generation for geological storage in China.

Commenting on the announcement, Mrs Beckett said: "The agreement 
demonstrates that the UK and China are working together on action to combat 
the global challenge of climate change. This agreement strengthens the work 
that the UK has been doing with China on climate change both directly and 
through the EU, and is another example of the excellent progress made this 
year through our G8 and EU presidencies.

"Carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power generation are growing 
rapidly and represent a serious challenge to the long-term stability of the 
climate. Carbon capture and storage technology have a key role to play in 
abating this impact and I strongly welcome today's agreement."

Chief Scientific Adviser Sir David King formally signed the agreement in 
Beijing with Minister Xu Guangha, from the Chinese Ministry of Science and 
Technology, which signals the start of the first phase of the near Zero 
Emissions Coal (nZEC) project.

Sir David said: "I am delighted to have been able to sign this important 
agreement, which marks a new level of international cooperation in the 
practical demonstration of what I believe to be a critical technology in 
meeting the challenge of climate change."

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Plans for joint EU-China nZEC cooperation were announced at the EU-China 
Summit on 5 September as part of the Partnership on Climate Change and 
Energy. Further information can be found on the Defra website at 
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/internat/devcountry/china.htm

2. Carbon capture and storage involve capturing carbon dioxide from the 
combustion process and storing it underground in geological formations such 
as aquifiers and depleted oil fields. The technology has the potential to 
reduce carbon dioxide emissions by some 90 per cent.

3. The UK will tender for the work required in the feasibility stage under 
Phase 1 and will be looking for expressions of interest early in 2006.

4. The European Commission is also preparing a high level agreement on 
carbon capture and storage which will complement today's agreement.