Plans for a new multi-fuel power station at Hunterston will be submitted to the Scottish Government.
It will be the first application anywhere in the UK for a new coal-fired power station since new environmental rules forcing all new coal plants to be fitted with carbon capture technology were introduced last year.
The proposals, drawn up by energy company Ayrshire Power, owned by Peel Energy Ltd, are for a site between the existing Clydeport coal handling facility at the Hunterston Terminal, and the Hunterston B nuclear power plant. It will involve Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, and burn both coal and biomass fuels.