§ Mr. Gourlayasked the Minister of Power, in the exercise of his powers to approve the capital plans of Boards, what information he has as to the capital cost per kilowatt of providing electric power by the medium atomic power, hydro-electric stations, coal and oil, respectively, and the capital cost per kilowatt equivalent of providing power by traditional gasworks, and by reforming oil by-products from oil refineries in the process of manufacturing petrol.
§ Mr. ErrollThe capital costs of a typical generating station to be commissioned within the next five years are: atomic powered £97 per kilowatt; coal-fired £34 per kilowatt and oilfired £32 per kilowatt, The Boards whose capital 207W investment programmes I approve have no proposals for hydro-electric stations. Gas production in continuous vertical retorts costs in capital £48 per kilowatt equivalent and in oil reforming plants £8. The figures are not strictly comparable because electricity generating capacity must be sufficient to meet peak demands as they arise while gas can be stored.