Report: UK should install CCS in power stations by 2020

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) should be adopted in all power stations by 2020, according to a new think tank report.

The study, conducted by Policy Exchange, has called for the implementation of the measures in conjunction with the integration of energy efficient standards in non-CCS power stations, the Telegraph reports.

CCS works by capturing, transporting and storing CO2 produced by power stations and factories.

Policy exchange claims that through the adoption of this technology, the UK can become a world leader in tackling climate change, while helping it meet the 60 per cent CO2 reduction by 2050 target.

Professor Stuart Haszeldine, of the University of Edinburgh and joint author of the report, said: "If Government takes heed and acts now we can ensure that CCS does not become just another missed UK opportunity.

"The UK was first to industrialise and now can be first to decarbonise."

A spokesperson for the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform commented that CCS is "vital" in tackling global climate change, according to the Guardian.