Are coal-fired power plants at all compatible with climate protection?
Yes. Of course the energy balance has to be improved, because a lot of the measures to protect the environment are at the expense of efficiency. The challenge lies in finding materials that can withstand the increase in temperature and pressure that we need to achieve a greater level of efficiency. Carbon capture and geological storage techniques also offer attractive prospects. Incidentally, we built the flue gas purification system for the first CO2-free experimental power plant. Resistance to large-scale power plants is rising in Germany. Would we perhaps be better off with remote heat and power plants serving local communities? Life is a series of compromises. In future there will be a mixture. Localized energy systems are gaining ground and we are aiming to develop a product of our own: micro gas turbines in the order of around 250 kilowatts. These would be suitable for hospitals, schools or small factories. We intend to go into production in 2011. However, we are also involved in
