Underground Coal Gasification project put on hold

Plans for Scotland’s first Undergound Coal Gasification (UGC) project have been put on hold due to uncertainty over political support for the technique.

Cluff Natural Resources cited the uncertainty over the outcome of the Scottish Government’s energy commission, which reports in September, as well as a motion at the SNP conference for UGC to be included the moratorium on fracking as reasons for the decision to postpone the project.

The company’s interim statement says: “We have deemed it prudent to await clarity on these matters before committing fully to, in particular, the expense of an Environmental Impact Study. As a result, work on a planning application will likely be postponed until after such time as the political situation is more certain."

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“Preparatory work including site selection studies, modelling and design work are however well underway.”

Cluff’s statement cites the planning system as the biggest obstacle for UGC and shale gas extraction.

It says: “Assuming that with all due respect to our opponents, common sense prevails and political support is forthcoming for the unconventional resources business, it is in the planning context that Government can, and I argue, must, help. In short, planning for approvals for energy related projects should be vested in the control of Central Government.”

Friends of the Earth Scotland, which is calling for the technique to be included in the fracking moratorium, welcomed the news.

Unconventional gas campaigner Flick Monk, said: “Cluff is clearly running scared at the strength of feeling within both the community and the SNP grassroots membership, who have put out a powerful call to get Underground Coal Gasification included in the current moratorium on unconventional gas.

“Cluff has now revised its plans twice regarding the Kincardine UCG project, clearly because it is aware of how unwanted the development is by communities living around the Forth.

“Underground Coal Gasification is a highly risky technology that has caused widespread environmental damage in test projects around the world. The SNP conference is clearly heading for a very lively debate.”