Cougar Energy is calling on the Queensland government to actively encourage a diversity policy in the development of clean coal technologies.

“We’ve already had one clean coal technology company pull out of Queensland,” Walker said.

“It would be unconscionable if certain petroleum interests were favoured by the government over local companies which have been developing cleaner coal technologies in Queensland since the 1990s.”

Cougar’s first commercial underground coal gasification (UCG) energy project at Kingaroy will supply enough energy to power 400,000 Queensland homes for the next 30 years and create 50 new local jobs, Cougar said.

The company added a second project at Wandoan has 10 times the energy potential of Kingaroy.

“Some suggest UCG cannot exist with other technologies – in Cougar Energy’s opinion, this is categorically incorrect,” Walker said.

“UCG can easily co-exist with other forms of mining because it produces 25 per cent less CO2 emissions than other forms of conventional coal-fired power generation and requires less than 5 per cent of the surface area required for the extraction of coal seam gas or CSG.

“Any moves to delay UCG technology development will be detrimental to Queensland.”