HL Deb 01 February 1988 vol 492 cc828-31

2.46 p.m.

Lord Rodney

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of public concern about a possible coal-fired power station at Fawley on Southampton Water; and what alternative sites are under consideration.

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, the CEGB has informed my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Energy that it expects to be in a position to submit an application for consent to construct Fawley B shortly. Anyone wishing to object to my right honourable friend regarding this application will be given an opportunity to do so. A number of other potential coal-fired power station sites are presently under consideration by the CEGB.

Lord Rodney

My Lords, I should like to thank my noble friend for that not very reassuring answer. Does he not agree that to maintain the amenities of the Solent area is extremely important? Can he also confirm that the building of a coal-fired power station at Fawley will involve an area of approximately 50 acres for a coal dump, with all the consequent coal dust all over the area?

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend. The points which he raises are very important, but my right honourable friend the Secretary of State has received a number of representations. Some of them draw to his attention the concerns mentioned by my noble friend about Fawley B, from the point of view of local interests. In reply to these representations, he has explained that he will only be able to take into account the objections which he receives within a specified timetable after an application has been made. No such application has yet been made.

Lord Ironside

My Lords, can my noble friend say what type of flue gas-desulphurisation plant will be fitted at Fawley by the CEGB? Will it be a limestone gypsum plant or a limestone sulphuric acid plant?

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, I cannot give my noble friend the information he seeks. However, I can tell him that the latest boiler design proposed would ensure a reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions of about 40 per cent. In addition, the new station would he fitted with flue gas-desulphurisation equipment to the requirements of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution. This would reduce the emissions of sulphur oxides by 90 per cent.

Viscount Hood

My Lords, is the Minister aware that if the country's power requirements are to be met, at least eight new power stations, nuclear or coal, are required by the end of the century? Planning permission for only one has been obtained so far—Sizewell B.

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, it is certainly the case that there will be under-capacity by the end of the century. That is why the CEGB is at present putting forward the plans which it has in mind.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that, while accepting the need for some new power stations in the South of England for load-balancing reasons, we do not necessarily need one 2,000 megawatt power station at Fawley? Would it not be in the interests of energy conservation if we had three or four smaller power stations on inland sites with combined heat and power, thus getting an overall thermal efficiency of between 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. rather than the 38 per cent. from the electricity generating stations only?

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord and I am interested in the points that he makes. They will undoubtedly be taken on board by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State when he comes to consider the application.

The Earl of Lauderdale

My Lords, does not my noble friend agree that the building of power stations on coastal sites would enable the generators of electricity in future to buy imported coal, whereas those inland would be prisoners of British Coal?

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, my noble friend is of course correct. He will be aware that one of the reasons the CEGB is considering an application in regard to Fawley is the facilities for importing coal there.

Lord Diamond

My Lords, will the Minister tell me whether the details relating to the type of flue of one of these power stations is a matter for government policy; or is it a matter within the management discretion of the CEGB?

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, it is the latter.

Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran

My Lords, having regard to the Minister's reply to the noble Lord, Lord Ironside, on the matter of dealing with effluents from the power stations—on which the Minister went into some detail—can the Minister say now or later whether the catalytic process which is so successful in some of the stations in America will be used to prevent effluents from getting out into the air?

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, I am afraid that I cannot reply to that question without notice.

The Earl of Halsbury

My Lords, will Her Majesty's Government bear in mind that that conveniently remote date, the end of the century, is drawing closer and closer and that the time for taking decisions is running out?

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, the noble Earl is quite right and I am very grateful to him for reminding us of that fact.

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that the point made by the noble Earl, Lord Lauderdale, is not necessarily correct? Does not the Minister agree that it would still be possible to import coal, if that were the policy of the Government, even if the power stations were built inland?

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, the noble Lord is correct. It would still be possible to import coal even if the power stations were built inland. But whether it would be more desirable to do so there or at Fawley will come to light after the consideration by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State has taken place.

Lord Ferrier

My Lords, is it fair to assume that the present muddle in our coal industry is a contributory factor to the importance of power stations within reach of imported coal?

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, in answer to my noble friend I should certainly say that, in planning where future sites of coal power stations should be, we want to take account of all the different factors, and not least the economic ones to which he draws our attention

Lord Rodney

My Lords, will my noble friend confirm that the existing oil-fed power station at Fawley is used to only about 12 per cent. of its capacity? Would it not be cheaper to run that station at full capacity rather than build a new coal-fired power station at a cost of many millions of pounds?

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, that is of course a technical question. However, it is clearly not the type of detailed matter which would be overlooked during the process of my right honourable friend's general considerations.