Scottish coal-fired power plant axed by firm
12 October 2009
DONG Energy drops Hunterston plans on same day Committee calls for urgent action on emissions
The axing of a plan for a new coal-fired power station at Hunterston in Ayrshire was warmly welcomed by WWF Scotland today (Monday 12 October). Danish firm DONG Energy has confirmed that they will not be progressing their plans for new coal-fired power stations in Scotland and Germany. [1] WWF called on the other partner in the Hunterston scheme, UK-based Peel Energy, to drop their support as well.
The announcement comes on the same day the UK's official climate watchdog, the Climate Change Committee, called for a 'step change' in action to reduce climate emissions. [2]
Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland said:
"The Hunterston coal proposal was the wrong sort of scheme in the wrong place. It is wonderful news that DONG have withdrawn from this proposal. We urge the other partner, Peel Energy, to do the right thing and finally kill off this polluting plan. A new coal plant at Hunterston would have locked us into major climate change emissions for three or four decades, long past the time when we need to have kicked our addiction to burning coal.
"In the space of a week two companies have now backed-off plans to build coal-fired power stations in this country. These two decisions show that the stories peddled by the coal enthusiasts about the lights going out at any moment are myths. The reality is that we need to put our efforts into using energy more efficiently, building up the renewables and making carbon capture work. There is no place for new coal without 100 per cent carbon capture installed from day one."
On the publication of the UK Climate Change Committee’s annual report, Dr Dixon added:
"This first annual report from the UK Committee on Climate Change has a good deal of useful detail to push the UK's governments to do more on climate change. They spell out clearly how the pace of change needs to pick up and give details of what needs to change in energy policy, transport services and the buildings sector.
"However the report is disappointing from a Scottish perspective. The Scottish Climate Act is hardly mentioned, yet it is better than the equivalent UK Act in a number of ways. The Committee could have used Scotland's higher targets and our inclusion of aviation and shipping emissions from the start to press the case for more action from the UK Government. Instead Scotland's commitments are not even spelt out in detail.”
Notes to Editors
[1] DONG announced their plans on Danish televison last night and in the printed press today.
See: DONG skrotter kulprojekter og fyrer op under grøn revolution
http://www.information.dk/206957
Dong and UK-based Peel Energy had been proposing a 1.6GW coal fired power station at Hunterston in Ayrshire. http://www.peel.co.uk/peelholdings/property/energy.html
Last week, EON announced it was shelving plans for a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnoth, in England.
[2] Committee on Climate Change Report
http://www.theccc.org.uk/reports/
[3] WWF Scotland is part of Stop Climate Chaos, an alliance of development, environment and civil society groups aiming for tougher action to reduce emissions - http://stopclimatechaosscotland.org
SCCS will be helping organise a Climate Change march in Glasgow on the 5th December, 2009.
