Gas power plan for Gedling colliery site
Methane trapped in the workings of a former Nottinghamshire coal mine could be used to create electricity.
Alkane Energy, based in Edwinstowe, wants to extract gas at the old Gedling colliery using a borehole.
The firm, which has nine similar facilities in the region, said the gas would be burnt on site to create power for more than 5,500 homes.
The county council said no decision had yet been taken on whether to grant planning permission.
The unmanned facility would have a lifespan of about 25 years.
Neil Shailer, from Alkane Energy, said: "Methane gas is potentially harmful to the environment, in fact it is something like 23 times more harmful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide if allowed to vent to the atmosphere.
"This mine does not have a vent on it and it makes sense to use it to generate power rather than let it escape."
The county council said a full consultation would be held as part of the planning process.
Alkane Energy has six gas extraction sites in Nottinghamshire, two in Derbyshire and one in West Yorkshire.