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Ebbw Vale Gas Power Station - Right Fuel, Wrong Technology

Friends of the Earth Cymru (FOE Cymru) have today advised against moves to more coal fired electricity generation as part of any opposition to the large proposed Ebbw Vale Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station (1). The group say that new high efficiency Combined Heat and Power (CHP) gas power stations should be built in preference to the lower efficiency CCGT gas plant or coal due to the level of global warming carbon dioxide emissions (2).

The group also warn that building new nuclear power stations are not an advisable way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions either, as some in the United States and the UK are contemplating, not least because they would pose a relatively easy yet devastating terrorist target.

Neil Crumpton, energy spokesperson for FOE Cymru said:

"It is a matter of urgency to reduce global warming carbon dioxide emissions from new power stations. Gas resources are simply wasted in medium efficiency CCGT gas plants and new coal stations would be a step in the completely wrong direction.

Before any new large scale generation plant is planned in Wales, the public and Assembly should be aware that high efficiency CHP gas technology, from large scale and domestic, together with Wales's abundant renewable resources both on and offshore are the electrical generation technologies for a safe, clean future.

Nuclear power is not an answer either to global warming because nuclear infrastructure and fuel transportation is and would ever be highly vulnerable to devastating terrorist attack of one form or another, as yesterdays event clearly indicate."

Notes

1) Local protesters are staging a demonstration today and Tower Colliery are proposing coal plant instead.

2) CHP typically 85% efficiency is use of gas as opposed to 57% for easier to build CCGT plant (basically a aircraft gas turbine engine in a shed). Coal would be worse than both and dirtier too in terms of air pollution.