The Secretary of State has made no such formal assessment. We remain committed to meeting the UK’s emissions targets for both 2020 and 2050.
The Department is consulting Natural England, the Environment Agency, Medway council and E.ON on the terms of conditions to mitigate or remove any adverse impacts to protected areas and species, should the Secretary of State decide to grant consent.
Numerous representations have been received from individuals and others, including Greenpeace and the constituency MP, on the use of heat. The Department is discussing the terms of suggested conditions to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to cater for any heat demand that arises should the Secretary of State decide to grant consent.
The Department has given no such consideration to other low carbon energy generation technologies at Kingsnorth. The choice of technology is a commercial matter for the applicant.
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect of the operation of the proposed new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth on natural gas imports to the UK;
(3) what assessment he has made of the effect of potential changes in storage requirements for gypsum on the design and build process for the proposed coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth;
(4) what assessment he has made of the role that (a) wet and (b) dry electrostatic precipitation technologies will have in the reduction of particulate emissions at the proposed new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth; and if he will make a statement;
(5) what assessment he has made of the effective transmission range of heat to be captured through combined heat and power technology at the proposed coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth; and what representations he has received from industry groups on this issue.
No such assessments have been made.
The Department is currently discussing draft planning conditions which include the installation of the necessary infrastructure to supply heat should such a demand arise should the Secretary of State decide to grant consent. Subject to the proper consideration under both planning and environmental regimes the siting of a power station is a matter for the applicant concerned.