by Dongying Wang

    LONDON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Britain has taken a major step forward towards carbon-free coal-burning power generation through a ground-breaking test to capture CO2 emissions from a working coal-fired plant and a plan for undersea storage of CO2.

    The kick-start of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration project in Scotland on Friday was hailed as "a major milestone" and considered an important element in Britain's energy strategy to tackle the duel challenge of energy security and emissions reduction.

    CARBON CAPTURE ON TRIAL

    Along with renewable and nuclear energy, CCS technology is part of Britain's ambition to lead the world's low-carbon transformation.

    The CCS involves capturing, transporting and storing CO2 securely in sub-surface geological formations, such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs or deep saline aquifers.

    On Friday, a CCS demonstration project was kicked off in the Longannet station in Scotland, the second largest coal power station in Britain and the third largest in Europe.

    The Longannet test unit, which weighs 30 tons and covers an area of 85 square meters, will be able to process 1,000 cubic meters of exhaust gas per hour.

    This has put Longannet on track to deliver a full CCS demonstration project by 2014, in line with government objectives, and kick-start a carbon storage industry for the Central North Sea, said the power plant's operator Scottish Power.

    Nick Horler, chief executive of Scottish Power, said the test unit uses the exact same technology envisioned for a commercial scale CCS project by 2014, and the leap from 1MW to 330MW is now "within sight."

    By proving that CCS technology can be retrofitted to existing stations, the carbon lock-in can be made possible in over 50,000 existing fossil fuel power stations across the world, he said.

    Friday's switch-on, coupled with the recent Scottish Regional Study highlighting the Central North Sea's potential to store all of Europe's CO2 emissions well into the next century, means that "a major new industry is now on the brink of being formed in the UK," he said.

    Meanwhile, Scottish Power's parent company, Iberdrola, the fourth largest energy company in the world, has confirmed that it will establish a global center of excellence to develop CCS technology in Britain.

    Iberdrola has announced that it will be funding a Chair in CCS at the University of Edinburgh to provide an academic focus for the Centre of Excellence.

    Iberdrola and Scottish Power Chairman, Ignacio Gal, said "we believe that the UK can lead the world with CCS technology, creating new skills, jobs and opportunities for growth."

    The CCS technology has proved effective in removing around 90 percent of the CO2 emitted by burning fossil fuels, and has thus been seen as the very solution to a world hungry for a clean and plentiful energy supply by both governments and the fossil fuel industry.

    In its 2009 Budget the British government pledged to deliver four CCS demonstration projects in a bid to pursue an early commercial application of the clean coal technology.

    TAPPING NORTH SEA POTENTIAL

    On Thursday, Britain and Norway jointly commissioned a study of the role of the North Sea in providing storage space under the seabed for carbon dioxide from European countries.

    Both countries have been seeking solutions to the issues of climate change and have worked very closely to identify the potential contribution of CCS to mitigate the impact of CO2 emissions.

    The study will look at how quickly the base of the North Sea would be needed for carbon dioxide storage and what Britain, Norway and other countries have to do to get it ready in time.

    "This study will help assist the governments in Europe to work together to store carbon dioxide safely under the North Sea and toplan the implementation of CCS," said Lord Hunt, British Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change.

    The study aims to build a profile for the whole of the North Sea, assessing each country's storage potential and projections of likely volumes and locations of CO2 flows, against a rising price of carbon, according to the DECC.

    This will involve identifying network issues and proposing methods for managing CO2 flows across borders. The study will also consider how the offshore storage business might develop.

    Britain and Norway have also agreed to campaign for international recognition of the important role that CCS can play and exchange information on national CCS demonstration plants, as well as to encourage other countries to explore the potential role of CCS within their own energy generation programs.

    Norway and Britain have long enjoyed exceptionally warm relations underpinned by close economic ties. In recent years, the development of oil and gas on Britain and Norwegian continental shelves has added a new dimension to the benefits both countries might gain from their cooperation.

Special Report: Fight against Global Warming