Jon Neale,
Planning,
11 January 2008
Government backing for a power station proposal in Kent could trigger applications for a new wave of coal-fired facilities.
Last week Medway Council raised no objection to consent being given for a £1 billion replacement for E.ON's Kingsnorth plant. This could become the first coal-fired station since Drax was built in Yorkshire more than 30 years ago.
Greenpeace claims that plans are being drawn up for coal-fired power stations at Tilbury in Essex, Blyth in Northumberland and Ferrybridge in West Yorkshire, among other sites.
The pressure group's climate campaigner Joss Garman said there are seven projects at pre-application or feasibility study stage. "It seems that everyone is waiting to see what happens at Kingsnorth," he observed.
"At the very least we expect there to be a public inquiry. One did take place for Drax and that was before we knew about climate change," Garman added.
He pointed to decentralised power stations in Denmark and the Netherlands, where efficiency can be as high as 90 per cent, as alternatives to a new generation of coal-fired installations in the UK.
The Kingsnorth replacement will improve the efficiency of the plant from 35 per cent to 47 per cent and will be carbon capture-ready, although this technology is not yet available.
However, the government's own carbon capture and storage demonstration programme aims to have the first commercial-scale system, which would reduce emissions by 90 per cent, in place by 2014.
The decision on Kingsnorth now rests with energy secretary John Hutton. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform would not say when a ruling might be made.
A spokesman said: "The government is committed to long-term renewable energy policies. But we recognise that we will need a diverse energy mix to ensure supplies in the future.
"Coal accounts for a third of electricity supply. While many UK stations are due to close over the next ten years, it remains an important part of the energy mix as we develop lower-carbon forms of power," he added.
COAL PLANS IN PROGRESS
- Tilbury, Essex (RWE npower - 1,600MW)
- Blyth, Northumberland (RWE npower - 1,600MW)
- Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire (Scottish and Southern Energy - 800MW)
- Fiddler's Ferry, Cheshire (Scottish and Southern Energy - 800MW)
- Longannet, Fife (Scottish Power)
- Cockenzie, East Lothian (Scottish Power)
- High Marnham, Nottinghamshire (E.ON)
source: Greenpeace
