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Norway experts eye CO2-free gas power in 10-15 yrs |
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| NORWAY: March 6, 2002 | ||
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OSLO - A Norwegian expert group said this week it could take 10-15 years to develop a feasible method for carbon emission-free gas-fired power generation, dimming hopes of a quick solution to a political power tangle.
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Norway's three-party centre-right coalition, which is split on whether to allow conventional gas power plants, has clung to a hope that the industry would soon be able to produce gas power without emissions of the climate gas carbon dioxide (CO2). "Based on available technological concepts, the committee's majority agrees that a technological shift needs to occur before CO2-free gas power plants can be competitive internationally," the independent committee said in a statement. The group, handing over its report to the Oil and Energy Ministry, said developing CO2-free gas power plants would require several years of research and pilot projects, estimating full-scale commercial production in 10-15 years. Norwegian energy company Naturkraft, owned by energy group Statoil , industrial group Norsk Hydro and utility Statkraft, has delayed plans to build Norway's first two gas power plants amid fears of profitability after the government imposed strict environmental conditions. The gas power issue could spell trouble for the government, which comprises the Conservatives, the Christian People's Party (CPP) and the small Liberal Party. The CPP, which opposes conventional gas power, was forced out of power in 2000 by opposition including the Conservatives over a gas power row.
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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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