New age coal is key to the future

Energy chiefs will next week launch a new "green" approach to coal which could play a key role in making Yorkshire and Humber a cleaner and more prosperous region.

Guest speaker Ed Miliband, MP for Doncaster North, will join a host of representatives from the region’s energy producers to launch "Vision for Coal" at Wakefield’s Cedar Court Hotel next Monday (March 13).

The aim of the new report is to create a sustainable low carbon energy future for the region by capitalising on its geography, infrastructure and technical know-how.

It says within the next 15 years, carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired electricity generation would be reduced by 50 per cent compared with current levels. And the region’s capacity to burn renewable biomass fuel, such as tree and plant material, with coal will be boosted.

The Vision for Coal report was produced by consultants Future Energy Solutions for the Regional Energy Forum, made up of experts in energy and representatives from Yorkshire and Humber’s energy producers.

"This new report is a significant development for the region," said Forum Chair David Bowe.

"It shows there is a regional consensus that coal generated power has a role to enable us to become a world-class low carbon economy.

"Now this has been established, we’ll be using the report’s findings to seek a multi million pound investment from Government and industry to make our coal vision a reality."

Background Notes

The project involved a major consultation exercise with key organisations and individuals about the future of coal in the region. Findings included:

• Overwhelming support for a Vision for Coal for Yorkshire and the Humber
• A ready UK market for all coal produced in the region
• An increasingly important role for biomass in electricity generation
• The need to improve the adequacy of the region’s rail infrastructure for transporting coal and biomass
• The importance of new technologies to make coal clean and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
• An action plan suggests a number of measures over the next three years to help achieve the longer term vision for the region. These include:
• A pilot of major adaptations to one of the region’s three coal-fired power stations to demonstrate how carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced
• The establishment of a Low Carbon Centre of Excellence in the region
• Trade and technology missions to gain and share expertise
• Further investigation into rail transport problems in the region
• Other longer term or lower priority ideas include recovering methane from abandoned coal mines together with a full assessment of coal reserves in the region.

The new report follows on from an earlier study "Coal: The Future", commissioned by the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly.

This report showed how mining remained important, both for the regional economy and the nation’s energy needs.

NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS

The launch of the report takes place at the Cedar Court Hotel, Wakefield at 9am on Monday 13 March 2006. If you wish to attend or want more information, contact Iain Lovell, Communications Manager, Yorkshire and Humber Assembly, tel 01924 331583, e-mail iain.lovell@yhassembly.gov.uk