Anger at new proposals for power plant

Reporter

Thursday 21 July 2011

A ROW over plans to build a new coal-fired power plant has been reignited after it was revealed the building will have to be 50 metres higher than was first proposed to minimise pollution.

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Jody Harrison

Under new plans announced yesterday, the power station at Hunterston in North Ayrshire will now tower 200 metres above the countryside after developers Ayrshire Power said an extra 45-metre section would have to be added to its chimney to ensure there are no “unacceptable public health or environmental impacts”.

The project has attracted widespread opposition from local groups as well as wildlife and environmental campaigners.Original plans for the £3 billion plant had to be redrawn after Scottish Environment Protection Agency raised concerns about air quality at the site.The new blueprints will now go out to public consultation for 28 days. A previous consultation attracted more than 5000 submissions, most of which are believed to have been objections. Those opposed have said they will be quick to register their displeasure a second time.Last night, Rita Holmes, secretary of the Community Council in nearby Fairlie, said: “This part of the River Clyde is such a beautiful part of the countryside, and this plant will be a blot on the landscape which will be visible for miles around. We’re just a small village, but this will be dumped almost on top of us and we’ll have to cope with the ash on the ground and fumes in the air – as well as delivery trains coming in five times a day.”Among others who have previously voiced concern about the planned 1852-megawatt plant are Oxfam, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Largs Yacht Haven and the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park Authority. They say the project would threaten local businesses, the area’s wildlife and harm people in developing countries.Aedan Smith, head of planning and development at RSPB Scotland, which has also objected, said: “We will need to assess the additional information in detail but this looks suspiciously like a greenwash. These amendments appear to do nothing to address fundamental problems with this proposal. “This unwanted and unneeded coal plant would still destroy a nationally important wildlife site and contribute to massive global environmental damage through a major increase in climate-wrecking greenhouse gases.“It is particularly disappointing that Ayrshire Power do not appear to have even attempted to compensate for the wildlife habitat that would be lost.”Stan Blackley, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “This is the wrong type of power plant for the energy future of Scotland. We should be aiming for 100% renewable energy, not propping up or building new coal-fired plants.”Dr Dan Barlow, World Wildlife Fund Scotland’s head of policy, said: “They can make the chimney as tall as they like, but it won’t alter the fact that the climate emissons from this new polluting power plant would undermine Scotland’s ambitions to secure a low carbon economy.”The developers say the new plant could generate enough electricity to meet the needs of up to three million homes, and create more than 1500 jobs during its construction and 150 once it is up and running.They also claim the plant will incorporate carbon capture technology that will prevent some greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere.Muir Miller, project director at Ayrshire Power, said: “We are totally committed to delivering a project which, together with other Carbon Capture Scheme initiatives, will take Scotland one step closer to becoming a world leader in pioneering this key technology.”

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Anger at new proposals for power plant

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