Parliamentary Secretary for the Department of Environment and Heritage Greg Hunt told International Longwall News sister publication www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net last Friday that Germany plans to have an operating zero-emissions coal-fired power station operational by 2014 – 10 years ahead of projections.

The plant is expected to be built on existing technological principles.

“The basic elements to achieve zero-emissions are gasification, carbon capture and carbon storage, mostly existing technologies, but they’ve advanced them further than expected,” Hunt told EMN.

Hunt said that during a discussion with the German deputy environment minister, the two countries explored options for cooperative development on the technologies.

“We’ve reached a provisional agreement to work towards a much stronger partnership on clean coal with Germany,” he said.

Hunt said that Australia’s existing international climate change initiatives such as the Asia-Pacific Clean Development and Climate Partnership provided a “good model” for cooperative technological developments for combating climate change, but there had been no discussions of what form the partnership with Germany should take.

“As an agreement between two developed countries, there would probably have to be some financial investment on our part,” he said.

Australia has promoted itself as an international leader in clean coal technology, and Hunt said it was possible that the partnership may involve government assistance in facilitating technology exchanges between German and Australian businesses, but investment was the most likely focus.

“I think the best thing for us would be to invest in the technology while it’s being developed and have a stake in the intellectual property that is developed at an early stage – that’s my personal opinion, anyway.”

Hunt said the partnership should be able to assist Australian businesses to participate in investment in the German technology, noting that while Australia was doing well in the field, the 2014 target announced by Germany last week was beyond our current capabilities.

“If it means government assistance is required to help bridge that gap, then that’s appropriate, because it’s part of the amortised costs of greenhouse gas abatement,” Hunt said.