Emission-Free Coal-Fired Power Stations Possible By 2012

ABC News Online
Jun 08, 2006

A leading Australian energy research group says the idea that Australia could have zero-emission coal-fired power plants is no longer fanciful.

The chief executive officer of the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies, Peter Cook, says developing emission-free power stations is a relatively simple process involving splitting carbon and hydrogen in coal.

Mr Cook says he is helping researchers in the United States to develop the process, which could be duplicated in Australia.

"We're involved in a project called Future-Gen which is why I'm over here in the States at the moment," he said.

"This is a billion-dollar project that the US is putting together, they're going to be using coal and they're going to be producing hydrogen from the coal, then they're going to use that hydrogen for powering generators and then they'll put the CO2 in the ground, and that's due to come on stream by 2012," he said.