In the north of Scotland, preparations are getting under way for a new power station that will test the limits of science in attempting to tackle global warming.

The plant, planned by BP and Scottish and Southern Energy, the UK energy companies, would convert natural gas into carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Electricity can be generated from the hydrogen using a new innovative technique, while the carbon dioxide can be stored under the North Sea in the Miller oilfield. If successful, the power plant could produce more carbon-free electricity than all of the UK’s existing wind farms.