The £3 billion scheme by Clydeport owner Peel Holdings to build Scotland’s first new fossil fuel power station for decades at Hunterston in North Ayrshire is facing thousands of objections from faith groups, international aid charities, wildlife agencies, environmentalists and businesses.
Among those to come out against the scheme are Christian Aid, Oxfam, the 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.
The breadth of opposition to the plant creates problems for the Scottish Government which has already endorsed it as part of Scotland’s National Planning Framework – despite the fact it has been rejected by a majority of the Scottish Parliament and is the subject of a court challenge from objectors.
The Sunday Herald understands that well over 5,000 representations, the majority of which are objections, have already been received by a public consultation that is due to close on August 20.
The charity Christian Aid is this weekend launching an online campaign asking its supporters to lodge objections. This is the first time that it has formally opposed such a development in Scotland.
“Allowing a new coal-fired station, without full carbon capture and storage, at Hunterston would seriously undermine Scotland’s claim to be taking an international lead on cutting greenhouse gas emissions,” said Christian Aid Scotland’s Una Bartley.
“Unabated coal is a leading contributor to climate change, which is disastrously affecting the livelihoods of many of the communities that Christian Aid works with.”
Oxfam is objecting for similar reasons. “Excessive carbon emissions are violating the rights of millions of the world’s poorest people to life, security, food, health and shelter,” said Judith Robertson, head of Oxfam Scotland.
“The Scottish Government has set ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions, upholding its long-standing tradition of justice and fairness for all. But it is extremely difficult to see how these targets can be met and justice upheld if Hunterston is built.”
The Scottish Wildlife Trust is also launching a campaign against the new power station, concerned that animals and plants will suffer. Construction would mean “certain destruction” of part of a nearby nationally important nature conservation area known as Portencross Coast, it argued.
“This area is an essential staging post for migrating birds like the greenshank, which use the mudflats as a stopping-off and feeding point. If this is lost to development, this will put extra pressure on the birds,” warned SWT head of policy, Tony King.
“The site is also important for other wildlife including otters, a nationally scarce plant called seaside centaury, and a type of cuckoo bee which is rare in Scotland.”
Largs Yacht Haven, which last month hosted an international sailing championship involving 500 competitors from 58 countries, is worried that coal shipments and leaking dust will deter visitors. The Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park Authority thinks that the new coal station will damage the landscape and discourage tourists.
But the Government’s wildlife agency, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), will not be objecting to Hunterston because it is in the National Planning Framework. The agency will merely be working to “minimise the impacts of the development”, according to a spokeswoman.
This has disappointed environmental groups, which are increasingly anxious at SNH’s failure to protect the natural world. “We are very surprised they are not concerned about a development that would destroy a huge part of a nationally important wildlife site,” said Aedan Smith from the RSPB in Scotland.
“The National Planning Framework does not establish the principle that the site should be destroyed,” he argued. “It is perplexing, therefore, that SNH is not joining RSPB Scotland and the huge number of other opponents to this proposal to prevent damage to the site.”
The Scottish Government is insisting that the new power station will have to capture and store carbon pollution for a minimum of 300 megawatts of its electrical capacity. But critics point out that this will amount to less than a fifth of its projected capacity of 1,600 megawatts.
Ayrshire Power, the Peel Holdings company set up to promote the Hunterston project, said it was a “fantastic opportunity” to establish Scotland as an international base for carbon capture and storage. “The successful demonstration of this technology will allow it to be rolled out across the world,” said a company spokesman.
“Ayrshire Power welcomes the comments of all groups and individuals to our project proposal which is of international significance. It is important that members of the public have the opportunity to express their views.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Government promised that all representations would be carefully considered by ministers.
“We are preparing further guidance on the extent of the need for new thermal generation in light of recent developments in our renewables potential,” he added.
