Senior figures in the chemical industry are backing controversial plans for the coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth.

As eco-activists converged on the area this week, Dr David Brown, chief executive of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that fossil fuels must remain part of the UK’s energy mix.

He said: “We’ll need fossil fuels in the coming years if we are to meet energy demands. However, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology needs to be implemented – and quickly.

“The CCS technology and know-how already exists and it’s now down to the Government to support industry-scale implementation. The current framework fails to guarantee generators a return on the additional investment required to introduce CCS.”

Andrew Furlong, the Institution’s director of policy, said new coal power stations are essential: “There are three ways to generate power – nuclear, renewables and fossil fuels and we need a combination of the three for energy security.

“This isn’t about renewables or coal. We will need renewables and coal, along with gas, nuclear and more besides if we’re going to keep the lights on, and we will need chemical engineers to make any or all of this happen,” he warned.