UK-China Clean Coal Initiative Launched

A joint UK-China initiative on producing energy from coal with low carbon dioxide emissions was launched in Beijing today. The Near Zero Emissions Coal Initiative (NZEC) will initially involve an 18-month work program to help build capacity for carbon capture and storage technology in China, build stronger links between Chinese and European experts and study a range of options for demonstrating carbon capture and storage in coal-fired power generation in China.

The first phase of the Initiative was officially launched by Barbara Woodward, the Deputy Head of the UK Mission in China, and Ministry of Science and Technology Vice Minister Liu Yanhua in Beijing.

UK Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said:

‘Today’s Near Zero Emissions Coal initiative launch demonstrates the strong working relationship which exists between China and the UK. Developing carbon capture and storage is vital if we are going to tackle climate change. I wish this initiative every success’.

The initiative is supported with up to £3.5 million in funding from Defra and BERR. The key objectives of Phase 1 are to:

* Enable the sharing of knowledge between Chinese and UK parties (academic, industrial and other) and build capacity for carbon capture and storage in China.

* Model the future energy requirements of China, based on supply and demand inputs.

* Produce case studies of potential carbon dioxide capture technologies.

* Perform initial characterization of selected sites suitable for geological storage of carbon dioxide.

* Develop a roadmap for CCS in China drawing together the elements of the above objectives.

The initiative will be jointly managed by AEA in the UK and the Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21 in China and will involve a consortium of key industrial and academic partners in both countries.

Subsequent phases are planned to build upon the outputs of phase 1; a second phase would further detail favorable options for demonstration with a third phase planned to construct the demonstration plant itself.

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