Article 5(1) of Large Combust

RNS Number : 1740L

Scottish & Southern Energy PLC

06 January 2009

 



SCOTTISH AND SOUTHERN ENERGY PLC

ARTICLE 5(1) OF THE LARGE COMBUSTION PLANT DIRECTIVE 

Scottish and Southern Energy plc ('SSE') confirms it is now able to operate its 2,000MW Fiddler's Ferry power station in line with the limits on emissions of sulphur dioxide contained in the Large Combustion Plan Directive (LCPD), following the successful progress made in commissioning the flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) equipment at the station during December. This means there will no longer be any restrictions on the hours the station can run. During 2008, the station operated under a derogation from Article 5(1) of the LCPD, which SSE will not seek to extend beyond the date it is due to end - 7 January 2009. 

The commissioning of FGD equipment at SSE's Ferrybridge power station, which covers 1,000MW of the capacity, is less well advanced, but it also operated successfully for the first time in December and continues to do so. In this case, however, SSE is seeking to retain the Article 5(1) derogation for a further month, until 7 February 2009. The hours that SSE is allowed to operate the plant under the derogation until that date, plus those still available to SSE under the existing derogation to 7 January, total around 280. Extending the Article 5(1) derogation is, therefore, principally a pragmatic step which will not, in practice, limit materially the number of hours which SSE expects the power station to generate electricity during the next month.

Colin Hood, Chief Operating Officer of SSE, said:

'Retro-fitting FGD equipment to well-established power stations is highly complex and challenging, but the commissioning work undertaken in the past few weeks has gone well at both stations. This means they should be able to help support security of supply during the rest of the winter and beyond.'  

 

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