Power station plans heat up (From Western Telegraph)

Power station plans heat up

8:11am Tuesday 7th August 2007 in

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PLANS to build an £800m gas power station in Pembroke have heated up, the Western Telegraph can reveal.

Energy company RWE npower has submitted an updated environmental statement (ES) to the Government - a major step towards securing planning permission.

Although an ES looking at the likely impact of the planned 1,650MW combined cycle gas turbine station was submitted in 2005, the company has now carried out further studies and consultation.

This includes responding to the recent conservation objectives outlined by the Milford Haven special area of conservation.

Pembroke Power Station project manager, Tim Calver, said: "The submission of the updated ES is an important step forward in the process of securing planning consent for the project.

"We believe the updated ES demonstrates that the proposed combined cycle gas turbine would not have any significant adverse effects on the local environment and we are looking forward to working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure a sustainable development on the Pembroke site.

"Although we recently announced that we are pressing ahead with plans to construct a new power station at Staythorpe, Pembroke remains an important site for us and the submission of the updated ES represents a significant commitment to advancing the planning application."

Earlier this year the company began test drilling under the Milford Haven waterway to test the rock for a future pipeline which would supply the station with gas.

South Pembrokeshire AM Angela Burns said: "I am greatly encouraged to hear that RWE npower has underlined its commitment to building a gas-fired power station in Pembroke.

"We need more power stations, and gas-fired stations produce less than half the carbon dioxide emissions that coal-fired stations produce. This project would also bring with it up to 100 highly-skilled and much-needed jobs.

"However, it is not just the environmental impact of such a development that must be studied closely. It must also be completely safe and every safety aspect must be checked and double-checked."

For more details on the power station plan e-mail pembroke@rwen power.com or call 0845136 0102.