Discovery could cut power station emissions to zero

GREENHOUSE gas emissions from power stations could be cut to almost zero by cleaning up the combustion process, British engineers said today.

Using ceramic tubes made from an advanced material called LSCF (Lanthanum Strontium Cobalt Ferric Oxide) inside the combustion chamber could revolutionise the way gas is burnt to produce energy.

LSCF has the remarkable property of being able to filter oxygen out of the air, and by burning fuel in pure oxygen it is possible to produce a stream of almost pure carbon dioxide, which has potential for reprocessing into useful chemicals.