The

The Government will announce in November that it is to invest up to
The plants will each use different technologies to transform coal into a clean fuel by piping harmful gases into empty North Sea oilfields. Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks will announce the finalists next year and the plan is to get the first green coal-fired power stations into use between 2011 and 2014.

Five leading power companies – ConocoPhillips, Scottish and Southern Energy, Eon, RWE and Centrica – say they want to enter the contest.

Each of the three companies which eventually take part will have to invest a further