4.1 Introduction

As far back as 1992 and probably earlier, strategies were being discussed on how to deliver low emissions from the use of coal for power production. At that time the main emphasis was on low emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxides, and also, for the ‘long term’, carbon dioxide²⁴. Over the past 17 years some of the components and technologies that were established then have been further developed, and other technologies that were at bench-scale have been brought to pilot-scale, with full-scale demonstration projects being planned. This chapter presents the current stage of development for the main components of the CCS chain using the best information publicly available at the time.

²⁴ ‘CO₂ Abatement from power generation’, CJ Bower, British Coal Corporation, CRE. Part of ‘The future for coal in power generation - clean coal technologies and economics’ St. Catherine’s College, Oxford, 22-26 June 1992