Scottish Coal Fuels Top Greenhouse Gas Emitters

LONDON, United Kingdom, August 11, 2003 (ENS) - Two Scottish coal burning power plants top a new table of electricity generators that emit the greatest amount of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, published today by Friends of the Earth UK.

The UK's 16 coal fired power stations, all more than 30 years old, generate 35 percent of the UK's electricity. The environmental group is using the table to launch its Carbon Dinosaurs campaign which aims to shame coal fired utilities into reducing their emissions.

The UK is the second only to Germany as the highest emitter of greenhouse gases in Europe. Data used for the new table covers January through December 2002 and was provided by the UK Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Power, and consultants to the energy industry Campbell Carr.

Cockenzie Power Station (Photo courtesy Alex Morrice)

The station is owned by Scottish Power which operates two of the coal plants that appear on the FOE UK list as the major emitters of carbon dioxide. Scottish Power's other coal fired plant, the 2,400 megawatt Longannet fueled by the sole surviving deep coal mine in Scotland, comes third on the list.

Friends of the Earth Scotland Chief Executive, Duncan McLaren, said, "The latest figures show that, compared to the rest of the UK, Scotland is falling behind in cutting its carbon emissions. One of the main reasons for this is the presence in Scotland of two of the UK's top three most polluting coal fired power plants."

The second highest carbon dioxide emitter is the Ferrybridge Power Station in West Yorkshire, owned by American Electric Power which is based in Columbus, Ohio. On the River Aire in northeast England, about 200 miles from London, the massive cooling towers and chimneys of the Ferrybridge 'C' Power Station can be seen regionwide. Commissioned in 1968, the coal fired station utilizes both locally mined and imported coal which it receives by rail, road and barge. It has a capacity of 2,000 megawatts and burns up to 800 metric tons of coal per hour.

The data compiled by FOE shows that power stations are the largest source of emissions of greenhouse gases in the UK.

Ferrybridge Power Station in West Yorkshire (Photo by Ian Britton courtesy FreeFoto)

"The government must ensure Scottish Power's plants clean up their act and make major cuts in its carbon emissions," McLaren said. "Unless Scotland's carbon dinosaurs adapt, they will rapidly face extinction."

Still, FOE points out, Scottish Power is making "big strides in developing renewables," referring to the company's development of one of the largest windfarms in Europe, at Whitelee Forest, Eaglesham Moor, to the south of Glasgow. Scottish Power has also proposed a windfarm at Black Law, near Forth in Lanarkshire.

When completed, Whitelee Forest is expected to generate up to 240 MW, enough to meet the energy needs of up to 150,000 homes.

But, the project has had to face objections from local residents, who fear lightning strikes and pollution of their watershed.

In addition, Scottish Power has agreed to help the Glasgow airport fit powerful computer filters, previously used only for military purposes, to its existing radar system to eliminate what is known as windfarm clutter that can interfere with radar signals.

If the windfarm clutter solution is approved by the Civil Aviation Authority, the plan for the 170 turbine Whitelee windfarm then could go to the Scottish Executive for planning permission. Together with the Black Law development, it would supply about half of Scotland's first climate change target of 18 percent renewable energy use by 2010.

"Our climate is changing as a result of pollution," McLaren said today. "Along with other measures, greenhouse gas emissions from our inefficient and dirty coal-fired power stations must be cut. The government must make the worst offenders clean up or get out of the market to make way for less damaging alternatives."

Scottish Power estimates that the Whitelee Forest windfarm would cut annual emissions of carbon dioxide by about 500,000 metric tons.

Over the next few months the Blair Government will be making decisions about how it implements two European Union laws - the Large Combustion Plant Directive which places controls on emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide and dust, and the Emissions Trading Directive which places a cap on emissions of carbon dioxide. These decisions will determine whether UK heavy industries must clean up their emissions or carry on business as usual.