UK Environment Agency's coal warning a setback for E.ON

Environment Agency, the government agency of  the UK has warned against construction of new coal-fired power stations until their carbon dioxide emissions can be captured for safe storage. The recommendation by the Environment Agency will be a blow to Germany energy company, E.ON, who wants to build a coal-fired plant at Kingsnorth, Kent.

The caution comes amid global outcry against global warming with warnings from green groups, scientists and other organisations against ''unabated'' coal power plants because of their hazardous impact on the environment.

The agency feels that the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology  is under development and there was "an urgent need" to make it work on a commercial scale.

Supporters of E.ON however, have a different point of view that Britain faces an energy shortage from 2015 as stations reach the end of their lives and face a shutdown when European Union carbon emissions restrictions come into force in 2015. Without new plants, they argue, that the country would be be hit by repeated power cuts.

Ian Fells, emeritus professor at the University of Newcastle, also said that to fill the impending shortage of energy, the country should build more nuclear power stations and keep the existing and ageing nuclear and coal plants going (See: Failure to revive coal, nuclear power stations can lead to future power crisis in the UK)

Lord (Chris) Smith, chairman of the Environment Agency, said ''Building a new generation of coal-fired stations without capturing the carbon emissions would lock the UK into using high-carbon technology for decades to come. This is not an environmentally sustainable way of generating power given the challenges we face with climate change.''

He noted that new coal power stations should be required to help demonstrate CCS, and should only be allowed to keep going after a set amount of time if the technology is fully deployed.