First carbon capture pilot to start in Germany

The first carbon capture pilot is set to launch in Germany next week, it has emerged.

Demonstration equipment will be installed alongside the 1,600MW Schwarze Pumpe power station situated in the north of the country, the Guardian reports.

At the plant, coal will be burnt in an atmosphere of pure oxygen, producing CO2 waste that can be buried - rather than emitted where it can affect the air quality.

Approximately 1,000 homes will be powered by electricity generated using this technology at the plant.

Stuart Haszeldine, a geologist and carbon capture and storage expert at the University of Edinburgh, said: "It's a very important and tangible step forward. It is the first full-chain demonstration of oxyfuel as a carbon capture technology."

He added the pilot marks the first time where all constituent parts of the technology have been combined as part of a working system.

In its report on the issue, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change described carbon capture and storage as "an option" in the portfolio of steps to be taken to stabilise the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.