AN inventor’s plan to draw gas from County Durham coal could come to fruition as a major North-East industry a century later.

The UK Coal Authority has awarded Clean Coal permission to investigate seams off the North-East coastline to use for potential underground coal gasification (UCG).

The first experiments involving UCG were carried out by Sir William Ramsey, in the Durham coalfield, in 1912.

Developed for use where it is too difficult or expensive to mine the coal, it involves drilling boreholes into the coal and injecting water and air mixtures to produce a gas.

The coal remains where it is.

If Clean Coal’s investigations off the County Durham and Wearside coast over the next 12 to 18 months prove successful, it could be providing power to the national grid within three to five years.

Rohan Courtney, chairman of Clean Coal, said: “This is an exciting and commerciallyviable development which can bring significant long-term benefit to the North-East economy. We would be absolutely astonished if we don’t get confirmation of what we believe to be there.

The coalfields extend offshore, it just doesn’t stop at the border.

“We reckon there is about 250 million tonnes in that area and that could power half of Sunderland and Newcastle for at least 30 years.

“We would sell the synthetic gas to one of the local power stations. Most power stations can be adapted fairly easily and it would then go into the electricity system.”

The company plans to start its investigations in the first half of next year and will hold a public exhibition before work begins.

Mr Courtney said: “With the work being carried out deep below the surface, it should largely go unnoticed, but we are keen to share our plans beforehand.”

Mr Courtney said it was possible that 20 to 30 engineers from the region could be used in the investigation process because of their local knowledge.

The investigation will include seismic and borehole surveys of an area of nearly 100km, at depths of between 500m and 800m below the surface.

The surveys will not have any detrimental impact on marine life, shipping or fishing.

Despite being widely used in Australia, UCG has never been used commercially in the UK. Mr Courtney said: “Recent developments in directional drilling technology and the growing need for new, secure and environmentally benign sources of energy means that underground coal gasification now merits serious investigation.”

The North-East site is one of five in the UK that Clean Coal has been awarded a licence to investigate.