Clean air action

In-Depth

Clean coal technology is likely to be a vital part of power generation at home and abroad. But government support is vital, as Mike Farley of Mitsui Babcock tells Stuart Nathan.

The UK energy industry is facing difficult times. Large power stations face imminent closures with no clear policies for their replacement, the nuclear vs renewables and fossil fuels argument is still raging, and gas prices seem to be defying gravity.

According to Mike Farley, director of technology policy utilisation at generating plant specialist

(MB), the situation is, if anything, more urgent than it appears.

'The estimations of how much plant will be needed by the end of 2015 have been underestimated,' he said. That date is important, he explained, because by then, eight gigawatts of

generating capacity will have disappeared because of decommissioning of nuclear plants, and the closures of the coal-fired plants that have opted out of the EU's Large Combustion Plant Directive. 'If you add those together with projected growth in energy demand, you can get from 18-29GW of plant needed by the end of 2015.'

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of premium content. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our premium content, as well as the latest technology news, industry opinion and special reports. 

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address