The Government has been urged to throw its weight behind clean coal technology after being accused of delaying vital investment in the industry.

A report backed by trade unions and employers called on ministers to back the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) claiming that delays were increasing the risks to the security of electricity supplies.

The report by the TUC's Clean Coal Task Group said clean coal would reduce the UK's "over dependency" on gas.

The Government was told that if it were serious about meeting targets to reduce CO2 emissions then new high-efficiency, low-carbon coal power stations were vital.

The report said developing CCS in the UK could also have a significant impact on reducing CO2 emissions in other countries, although it recognised that environmentalists opposed to fossil fuels see the use of coal as a barrier towards progress on climate change.

The report argued that a new generation of clean coal-fired power stations could significantly reduce the UK's carbon dioxide emissions.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "Carbon capture and storage can help make coal clean and the Government must throw its weight behind the technology if the UK is to maintain coal-fired power generation amongst all the other sources of power generation including renewables and nuclear."

Mike Farley, chairman of the task group, added: "If we are to avoid nearly 60% of our electricity coming from gas by 2016 then new clean coal power plants need to be built now."

A spokesman for the Business and Enterprise Department responded: "The UK is already way ahead in taking a global lead on clean coal power generation.

"Within seven years one of the world's first commercial-scale fossil fuel power plants with carbon capture and storage will be up and running in the UK reducing associated emissions by up to 90%."