Press Association
Saturday 11th February 2012
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.
If approved, the new facility could meet the energy needs of three million homes, Ayrshire power said.
The plans will be formally submitted to the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit by the company on Monday.
They will then go through a "gate checking" phase while the Government ensures all the information needed for a full assessment of the proposals is included, before being put forward for public consultation.
The company said it would "use highly efficient modern technology with strict emissions control", with 90% of carbon from the plant being captured, and reducing coal consumption by up to 25%.
It also claimed that the new power station would generate a "significant" number of jobs in the area, with up to 1,600 people being employed during construction and 160 permanent jobs when the power station is running.
Environmental campaigners spoke out against the plans, claiming they have no financial or environmental benefits. WWF Scotland's climate policy officer, Dr Sam Gardner, said: "We all know the environmental threat already facing people and wildlife from climate change.
"Any proposal as big as this, which fails to capture all its carbon emissions from day one, would be a disaster for Scotland's world-leading climate change legislation. This proposal would also undermine Scottish Government plans to de-carbonise the power sector."
