§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates he has made of the likely increases in emissions of vanadium and other heavy metals that would result from the conversion of Pembroke and other power stations to burning orimulsion, and the effect this would have on the United Kingdom's ability to meet its obligations under The Hague convention on discharges into the North sea.
§ Mr. BaldryPower stations that are currently burning orimulsion or which are proposing to burn orimulsion will be required by HM pollution inspectorate to meet an emission limit for particulate material as tight or tighter than that required for heavy fuel oil. They will also be required to use adequate abatement equipment to meet this limit. An increase in the emission of vanadium and other heavy metals is not expected. This will not affect our obligations under The Hague convention.
§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research has been undertaken into the effectiveness of electrostatic precipitators in capturing vanadium and other heavy metals emitted from burning orimulsion in power stations and into whether wet flue gas desulphurisation systems in addition to electrostatic precipitators would be efficient in capturing these pollutants.
§ Mr. BaldryThe power station operators are assessing the effectiveness of electrostatic precipitators in capturing emissions of vanadium and other heavy metals from the 79W burning of orimulsion. It is expected that they will be at least as effective as for other particulate matter. There is only limited experience of the effectiveness of wet flue gas desulphurisation in series with electrostatic precipitators, but, in any event, care will be taken to control emissions of heavy metals from power stations fitted with wet flue gas desulphurisation systems.