EU Carbon Capture plan flawed
Published: 10-02-2009
Press Release
Gemma Watts, Publicity Officer, CPRE Kent
10 February 2009
CPRE Kent against EU Carbon Capture plan
Last week the European Commission announced plans to invest more in energy infrastructure as a cure for the recession. CPRE Kent are hugely disappointed to learn that the package overall offers £1.3 billion to Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) and only £600 million to renewables.
CPRE Kent believes this is a huge backwards step in the fight against climate change. Instead of spending money and trying to create a technology which may allow Kingsnorth to be clean in the distant future, we should be using technology that already exists to stop damaging coal fired power stations like Kingsnorth being built in the first place.
Kingsnorth is one of four UK power stations planned to be allocated a share of the £1.3 billion, the others being Longannet in Fife, Hatfield in Yorkshire and Tilbury in Essex which at present has no formal planning application of any kind.
If the EC’s plans are a demonstration of intent, they are failing to recognise the role that renewables will need to play in the future, well before CCS ever looks like making a meaningful contribution.
Sean Furey, Deputy Director of CPRE Kent said:
“Clean Coal is myth put forward by an industry stuck in the past. The money that Europe plans to invest in Carbon Capture Storage would be much better spent in counties like Kent, on supporting energy projects to insulate homes and develop the UK’s excellent renewable energy potential.”