Power Stations: Combined Heat and Power

Jenny Willott
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what consideration the Government have given to the merits of adding combined heat and power to (a) Port Talbot, (b) Uskmouth and (c) New Pembroke power stations; what estimate he has made of the potential annual savings in terms of (i) primary energy input and (ii) carbon emission; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks
Applicants for new power station must demonstrate that they have considered the viability, in terms of possible heat users in the vicinity of their proposal, of the station being described as combined heat and power. My Department issued guidance on what is required on this and this is available at:

www.berr.gov.uk/files35728.pdf

The Department does not have the specific information requested on annual savings for individual purposes. However an analysis has recently been carried out to assess the potential for CHP for high temperature industries, such as large utility plants. This analysis is available at:

www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/energy/chp/pdf/potential-report.pdf