§ Mr. Bill O'BrienTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the average sulphur dioxide content per tonne of coal burnt in power stations for the period 1 January 1997 to 31 December 1997; what quantity of coal was burnt; and if he will estimate the amount of(a) deep mined and (b) opencast mined coal that would have been burned in this period if the target for sulphur dioxide emissions had been 1.2 per cent. [30496]
§ Mr. BattleCoal use for electricity generation in the UK was 54.9 million tonnes in 1996 and 47.0 million tonnes in 1997. Power station emissions of sulphur dioxide in 1996 were 1,371,000 tonnes. 1997 figures for emissions are not yet available.
The sulphur content of coal used in power stations varies widely, from below 1 per cent. to more than 2 per cent. but figures for the average sulphur content are not available. Sulphur dioxide emissions depend on the use of flue gas desulphurisation equipment as well as on the sulphur content of the fuel used. A small proportion of the 1996 emissions was from oil fired power stations.
The Environment Agency has issued a Consultation Document setting out proposals for new sulphur dioxide targets, including a requirement for power stations not fitted with flue gas desulphurisation equipment to burn coal with an average sulphur content not exceeding 1.2 per cent. from 1999. My Department is considering these proposals.