§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total capacity of the new gas-fired power stations approved since May 1997; and if he will estimate the amount of coal-use they will displace. [84360]
§ Mr. ByersSome 4 GW of new gas-fired capacity has been cleared since May 1997. This compares to some 23 GW of new gas-fired capacity cleared by the previous Government. In broad terms each extra 1 GW of new gas-fired capacity could displace coal burn by about 2.5 million tonnes a year. The precise impact, however, is not so simple since displacement in a particular case depends on the mode of operation, the competitive position of other plant (which may be coal or non-coal plant) and the level of demand that is required to be met.