National Infrastructure Planning currently has five new fossil fuel plants under examination. They are:
EDF’s West Burton C plant, rated at 299MW, planned for the West Burton power station site. The application for development consent was submitted on 30 April 2019 and accepted for examination on 23 May 2019.
VPI Immingham’s open cycle gas turbine, rated at 299MW, was subitted on 11 April and accepted for examination on 9 May.
Abergelli Power’s 299MW gas-fired power station is located near Swansea on site adjacent to the National Grid Gas compressor station and to the north of the M4. The company is a subsidiary business of Drax Group and the plant is planned to enter commercial operation in 2022. A recommendation has to be submitted to the secreatry of state by 10 July and a decison is due within three months.
Repowering of Drax 5 and 6 to become gas-powered generating plant. It would see four new combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) providing steam to the existing steam turbine. Once re-powered, each unit would have a gross electrical output capacity of up to 1,800MW. The proposal includes a 200MW battery. A recommendation has to be submitted to the secretary of state by 4 July and a decision is due within three months.
If they gain approval, the new plants will bring to two dozen the UK’s list of gas-fired plants with planning approval, although that includes some where plans have clearly been mothballed. Two are under construction: SSE’s Keadby 2 and Intergen’s new unit at Spaiding.
Further reading
Search and sort data on UK power assets via New Power’s online Database. Free access for subscribers
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