HC Deb 09 November 1973 vol 863 cc281-2W
Mr. J. H. Osborn

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on current research and development of fluidised bed combustion for electric power generation in conjunction with electricity generation, district heating, and area storage power schemes.

Mr. Emery

Research into fluidised bed combustion is continuing to be carried out by the British Coal Utilisation Research Association Ltd. The United States Office of Coal Research is currently the customer for some of this work. The National Coal Board is also keeping in close contact with the research activities in this field now being pursued in the United States. At the same time a company formed jointly by the National Coal Board, the National Research and Development Corporation and British Petroleum Ltd. is seeking to develop promising applications of fluidised combustion to the stage of commercial exploitation.