Former chief scientist Alan Finkel is the first to acknowledge that carbon capture and storage has been a serial underperformer for the initial purpose it was designed for: coal-fired power generation.

“The reality is it hasn’t worked on an economic basis: it works technologically, but economically it’s just been terrible,” Dr Finkel said this week of the negative reputation of the process among many who regard it as a failed technology being used as an excuse to prolong using coal and gas.