21 May 2007 00:00
E.ON UK welcomes Planning White Paper that leads to smoother framework and quicker decisions to ensure energy gap is closed, urges implementation by 2009
Dr Paul Golby, Chief Executive of E.ON UK, has today (MON) welcomed the Government’s Planning White Paper in the hope that it will smooth the process for building new power stations and renewable schemes.
E.ON’s UK investment plans call for £3bn to be spent on such new assets as coal- and gas-fired power stations, as well as dozens of new onshore and offshore wind farms, many of which have been held up in planning for years.
“Simply put, if we want to make sure that we can build the new power stations and wind farms that we need to ensure the lights stay on and reduce carbon emissions, we have to have a planning framework that allows us to do that in a timely manner,” said Dr Golby.
“The situation is especially pertinent for next generation nuclear power stations and for onshore wind farms, where some of our schemes have been held up in planning for literally years.
“And, with the next generation of nuclear power stations, we simply can’t afford to have the delays that we saw with Sizewell B.
“We will have to act swiftly and decisively to ensure that the UK’s lights stay on, that homes remain warm and that our carbon emissions are reduced and this White Paper is an excellent start.
“To achieve that, the new planning rules must be in place by 2009 at the latest to ensure that we can invest in the right projects at the right time.”
E.ON believes that the answer to the UK’s energy renewal is to have a diverse mix of fuel sources, including nuclear, new cleaner coal, gas and renewables.
The company already has multi-billion plans for two new gas-fired power stations, a new cleaner coal-fired power station, a clean coal power station and two large-scale offshore wind farms.
It is also taking an active role in the pre-licensing and planning process for the next generation of nuclear power stations in the UK.
Ends
Notes to editors:
* E.ON is the UK’s largest integrated power and gas company – generating, distributing and retailing electricity – and is part of the E.ON group, the world's largest private-sector energy services company. We employ around 16,000 people in the UK;
* Our retail business, branded Powergen, is a leading energy supplier in the UK, with around 8.5 million electricity and gas customer accounts, both domestic and SME.
* The generation business produces enough electricity to cater for the needs of around eight million homes from a portfolio of world-class gas, coal and oil fired power stations;
* We are a market leader in combined heat and power, providing our customers with around 600MW of electricity and more than 1,000MW of heat at 13 sites across the country;
* In addition, we’re one of the leading green generators in the UK, with 20 wind farms located from Cornwall to Northern Ireland. We also burn biomass material mixed with coal in two of our power stations and are currently building the UK’s largest dedicated biomass power station at Lockerbie. We own the largest hydro power station in England and Wales. Combined, our renewable portfolio generates enough green energy to power the homes in a city the size of Manchester;
* Through Central Networks, we run the electricity distribution network in central England, delivering a reliable supply to 4.9 million customers from the Lincolnshire coast to the Welsh border and from the Peak District to the outskirts of Bristol through enough underground and overhead cable to go four times round the world.
For more information contact:
Jonathan Smith on 024 7618 3676
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