German Power Plant Tests Underground CO2 Capture

Germany is pioneering industrial efficiency with a new coal-fueled power plant that captures and stores its own CO2 emissions, Der Spiegel reports. The Bavarian power station began testing its system of collecting carbon dioxide and pumping it into a depleted underground natural gas reservoir. A few problems remain, though.

Existing coal plants cannot be retrofitted with the new technology, and new facilities must produce at least 1,000 megawatts to be economically competitive. The current test station produces just 30 megawatts. With still-new storage technology, no one knows just how long the gas will stay underground, and carbon transport or pipelines would evoke public outcry. (More clean coal stories.)