Coal Fired Power Stations: Kingsnorth

Gregory Barker
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide likely to be emitted per annum from the proposed Kingsnorth power station and associated operational activities; what discussions he has had on such estimates with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) other Government offices and agencies; what representations he has received on this matter and from whom; what estimate he has made of the effect of such emissions on performance against Government targets for greenhouse gas emissions; and on what evidential basis such estimates of potential carbon dioxide emissions from Kingsnorth were founded.

Malcolm Wicks
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made no such formal estimate. We remain committed to meeting the UK’s emissions targets. The EU Emissions Trading Scheme ensures that total carbon emissions across EU industry and power generation sectors are restricted by a cap. Any new coal plant in the UK would have to buy allowances to emit, ensuring that equivalent carbon savings are made elsewhere, which count under the Government’s approach to carbon budgeting.

No such discussions of the kind described have taken place. The Department has received many representations from a range of various groups and individuals on the issue of emissions to the atmosphere.

Gregory Barker
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects that the proposed power station at Kingsnorth in Kent to become operational in terms of (a) power generation and (b) carbon capture and storage; and what representations he has received on this matter, and from whom.

Malcolm Wicks
The Environmental Impact Assessment which accompanied the application estimates that it would take approximately four years from the granting of any consents and licences before the proposed station started operating.

It is not possible to say if or when carbon capture technology would be operational at the proposed station. Numerous representations from a range of various groups and individuals have been received on this matter.