Energy security story

Two new energy projects are given consent today in a bid to boost the UK's energy security.

The investment for both of the projects is set to replace a quarter of the country's generating capacity, which is due to close by 2018.

Charlies Hendry, Minister for Energy commented on today's announcement, he said: “In securing this investment, energy security will be at the forefront of our mind, and a diverse supply is crucial to that. The consent is a double boost for our energy security”.

Mr Hendry gives permission to a 56MW onshore wind farm in Northumberland and a 900 MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station in Lincolnshire respectively.

Commenting on the wind farm on the Ray Estate near Kirkwhelpington, he said: “Wind farms have a key role to play in boosing security and cutting carbon emissions. As long as they are well designed and appropriately sites.

“Developers at Ray expect the wind farm to provide enough green electricity to power around a quarter of Northimberland's households.”

In relation to the CCGT power station at West Marsh Road, Spalding, in Lincolnshire, Mr Hendry added: “Not only will the plant in Spalding provide a significant amount of base load electricity, the waste heat could also be used locally.

“We have made it a condition of the consent that the developers must install the necessary plant and pipework to enable the station to supply waste heat to local users if the opportunity to do so materialises.”

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Carbon capture and storage story

A new technological programme will open to projects on gas-fired power plants and coal-fired power plants, the UK's energy and climate change department says.

The carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration programme is set to ensure the country continues to be at the forefront of CCS development as well as lead the world's development of CCS on gas and coal.

Chris Huhne, Enegy and Climate Change Secretary, said: “We won't be able to take carbon out of all gas plants overnight, but we hope to support the porcess by investment in new technology now.

“In the long run carbon capture will help provide us with a secure and affordable energy system and we want to encourage companies with projects on both gas and coal-fired power stations to come forward.”

Mr Huhne then pointed out that this does not mean the government is imposing the same emission constraints on gas-fired power plants as on coal in the short or medium term, and he wanted to encourage companies to come forward with potential projects.

The govenrment has recently announced that up to £1 billion is to be made available for the first commercial scale CCS demonstration project, and the government is committed to funding four such projects.

The decision to include gas-fired power stations in the programme was made after analysing the net benefits approach, including an assessment of the evidence and recommendations from the Climate Change Committee's second progress report, and information collected through the market sounding exercise.

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