Friday, 30th June 2006 (1336 views)

Mining company Rio Tinto primarily produces gold, copper, lead and zinc but it also provides financing for other projects around the world.

One of the firm's subsidiaries, the US coal company Kennecott Energy, is at the forefront of research into clean coal as one of the founder members of the FutureGen Industrial Alliance.

As the world looks for alternatives to replace polluting fossil fuels, the $1 billion FutureGen public-private partnership is working to build the first "zero emissions" coal-fuelled power station.

This will involve the near total-elimination of emissions while producing both electricity and hydrogen.

The project is an example of Rio Tinto's commitment to mitigating the unavoidable harmful effects of the mining industry on the environment, as spelled out in the company's environmental policy.

"Excellence in environmental performance is essential to our business success," the firm states.

As well as the green power plant, FutureGen is involved in testing and developing the capture and permanent storage of carbon dioxide, a harmful greenhouse gas.

 

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