Centrica mulls clean coal option

The power station will provide energy for British Gas customers

British Gas owner Centrica has revealed plans for a possible new coal-fired power station on Teesside, the first in the UK since Drax was built in 1974.

The firm claims it would be the UK's greenest fossil fuel station, using both clean-coal and carbon-capture technology at the same time.

It would cost about £1bn ($1.9bn) and supply power to one million homes.

Centrica said it would have the fewest emissions of any fossil fuel power station in the UK.

The move comes after a summer of soaring oil prices and as the UK seeks to determine its energy strategy for the coming decades.

The firm's managing director Jake Ullrich said: "We are probably going to be the largest builder of offshore power through windmills, and that only has about 30 to 35% reliability.

"This plant would be available 100% of the time."

It would be built in partnership with UK clean coal plant developer Progressive Energy, and provide energy for British Gas customers.