Fluidised Bed Combustion

HC Deb 18 March 1969 vol 780 cc196-7

33. Mr. Speed

asked the Minister of Power what assistance his Department is giving to the National Coal Board in the development and application of the fluidised bed system of coal combustion.

Mr. Mason

My Advisory Council on Research and Development drew attention some years ago to the fluidised bed system of coal combusion as being worth investigation. My Department, through the Council, has since then encouraged and continues to encourage the National Coal Board in its efforts to determine the potential of this new technique of coal combustion.

Mr. Speed

Does the Minister consider that this is a technological break-through by the National Coal Board? If so, will not it increase coal's share of the total energy market in the 1970s?

Mr. Mason

It is much too early to say that it is a technological break-through, although at this stage it is encouraging. If it succeeds, it will certainly help the sale of coal.

Mr. Eadie

My right hon. Friend has confirmed to the House that the nuclear industry has amended its financial policy to make it more competitive. Does he agree that here we are discussing a technological development in the utilisation of coal which will make the coal industry and the National Coal Board competitive without any financial manipulation?

Mr. Mason

My hon. Friend must remember that the Central Electricity Generating Board always errs on the side of caution and safety. We have developed a nuclear industry that is perhaps the safest in the world, we have more experience than anyone else in the world in the peaceful generation of nuclear energy, and we have been selling stations abroad. One of the ground rules was that the stations had a 20-year life. Now they have a 25-year life, which is a sensible and logical step. It is not for my hon. Friend to start charging the industry with what he probably thinks is a trick because at the same time fluidised bed combustion techniques may be feasible. A technological break-through does not exist, but the development is encouraging, and I hope that it succeeds.

37. Mr. Cronin

asked the Minister of Power what assessment he has made of the fluidised bed system of coal combustion for electricity generation recently proposed by the British Coal Utilisation Research Association and the National Coal Board, particularly with regard to cost per unit and capital costs; and what changes he envisages in fuel policy as a result.

Mr. Mason

The work on the fluidised bed combustion of coal is aimed at providing the engineering data required for detailed design and cost studies of novel boiler plant. It will not be possible to make any worthwhile assessment of the impact of this new technique upon the cost of electricity generation based upon coal or to determine what influence it might have upon the pattern of power generation in this country until these studies have been completed. I look forward to the results of these studies with great interest.

Mr. Cronin

As this revolutionary system of consuming coal may well help enormously the profits of the coal industry, is it not desirable to set up a prototype plant for using this form of combustion as soon as possible?

Mr. Mason

There are two aspects. The first, and smaller, is the development of an industrial boiler with this new technique. I understand that the prototype will be at one of the research establishments quite soon this year. The second aspect is to try to find a technique for power generation. We shall not be able to evaluate the data until later this year, and that will determine how much money should be spent on further research to develop it.