Friday, 24th February, 2006

A big future for coal is being predicted by UK energy Minister Malcolm Wicks who is working on an energy review scheduled to be completed this northern summer. Mr Wicks has the job of meeting the twin targets of cutting Britain 's dependence on imported power sources - particularly Russian gas - and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In an interview this week with The Scotsman he said coal, and particularly coal mined in Britain, will play a key role in the country's future energy mix.

In the interview Mr Wicks signalled that so-called clean coal has a big future. "Carbon capture" technology allows coal to be burned, but emit much less carbon dioxide than in the past, and Mr Wicks said this could lead to an increase in British coal production. Mr Wicks suggested that the coal from British mines should be used in new cleaner power stations to test the technology.

"I would like to see one or two major developments in Britain using British coal plus clean coal technology," he said. "My instinct is that it would be sensible for us to be producing more of our own energy, home-growing our own energy."

Some analysts predict coal is set to become world's most popular energy source, accounting for up to 40 per cent of global power generation.

"Whatever the most fierce environmentalists may say and wish, the world is going to be burning lots of carbon, particularly loads and loads of coal, for 100, 200 years to come. The environmentalists may not like that but tough, it's going to happen," Mr Wicks said.

Since coal will remain an important fuel, he said, Britain should lead work to make it more environmentally friendly.

Mr Wicks was speaking on the eve of visiting a Scottish wave power project but made it clear that such renewable sources cannot meet all of Britain's future energy needs, meaning nuclear power must be an option. "Even if we really push ahead with renewables plus bearing down on energy efficiency, some people think that adds up to a solution. I think it adds up to a chunk of the solution," he said.

In a veiled attack on anti-nuclear groups, the minister pointed to Germany's plans to shut down nuclear power plants, a move he said would mean more carbon emissions. "I would at least hope that the environmental fundamentalists would look at that fact and think through the implications," he said. Asked to identify those "fundamentalists", he said: "I mean people who are so committed to the environmental agenda but who imagine that the answer can be windmills and some tidal power and some solar power and some recycling."

"environmental obscenities"

UK energy minister Malcolm Wicks
says people who use patio heaters should
"go inside, wear a jumper, get a life"