NZEC (Near-Zero Emissions Coal plant)

The joint UK-China near Zero Emissions Coal (NZEC) initiative addresses the challenge of increasing energy production from coal in China and the need to tackle growing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions from China’s increasing coal use are set to double to more than 5,000 million tonnes per year by 2030 [IEA World Energy Outlook 2007].

The EU-China NZEC agreement was signed at the EU-China Summit under the UK’s presidency of the EU in September 2005 as part of the EU-China Partnership on Climate Change. The agreement has the objective of demonstrating advanced, near zero emissions coal technology through carbon capture and storage (CCS) in China and the EU by 2020. The UK-China bilateral NZEC initiative was developed in support of this wider agreement.