News from December 2009. I thought back then, before reading...

News from December 2009. I thought back then, before reading further, that the gov't was using taxpayer funds for UCG, but alas; the project described below is being backed by Shell and the coal industry...they are certainly not backing UCG.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/industry-sectors/clean-coal-plan-gets-fast-track/story-e6frg976-1225810004615

"Queensland Mines and Energy Minister Stephen Robertson said the Bligh government was showing its commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

"Integrating a coal gasification power plant with the capture and storage of (carbon dioxide) emissions to generate low-emission electricity for the national electricity market will put Queensland in the driver's seat when it comes to clean coal technology," Mr Robertson said.

The Rudd government last week announced ZeroGen was one of four projects for its $2bn carbon capture and storage flagships program.

But even if successful, ZeroGen would only share in $120 million in commonwealth funding for pre-feasibility work, and the proponents are operating on tight timeframes in their bid to have the power plant running by late 2015.

ZeroGen chief executive Tony Tarr said last week the project would help to safeguard Queensland's coal industry while putting the state at the forefront of technological development.

"It is widely understood that if several large-scale integrated CCS (carbon capture and storage) projects are not developed within the next decade, there is a real possibility we won't be able to deploy the technology in time to prevent greenhouse gas emissions from exceeding reasonable limits," Dr Tarr said.

Not sure what's happened here, but IMO.....gov't has been saying for a while that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and we need cleaner energy for a growing market.......Let's give this embryonic UCG industry a chance to prove themselves............Hang on a minute.....some lobbying from Oil and Gas majors et en ( maybe coal mining ( or coal fired power stations in the regions).... these 3 UCG leaders are actually showing signs of proving they can scale up - could be a threat to other power suppliers and to Oil and Gas Co's .........Let's just think about what we need to do......give them some deadlines and restrictions and just let them fail....I'm sure that's what will happen- after all where are they going to get their funding?.......and now the Gov't goes whack!!! Now I see why LINC chose South Australia and perhaps is even thinking of getting out of UCG altogether