PowerSwitch

The Guardian - 04/03/10



King coal is ready for a British comeback in a form that sounds more like medieval hellfire than an energy source for the 21st century. But could it be green? The stakes are high – not least because the company behind the plan has captured the high ground in environmental marketing by calling itself Clean Coal Limited.

The idea is this. Forget about mining coal, and instead burn entire coal seams in situ underground, then tap the gases that the fires give off to put in gas turbines and generate electricity. Unknown to most residents, the company has already obtained licences from the UK Coal Authority to do this at five sites round Britain's coast.

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