§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the implications for the supply of electricity following the decision to close eight nuclear power stations within 10 years; and which sectors of the electricity generation market he expects to develop further capacity to account for any shortfall. [53314]
§ Mr. BattleThere has been no decision to close eight nuclear power stations within the next 10 years.
The Government are currently considering responses to the consultation document on their Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation and will announce their policy when the review is complete.
§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what proportion carbon dioxide emissions are increased per unit of electricity generated by the fitting of FGD technology to an average coal-fired power station. [53311]
§ Mr. BattleThe increase in the production of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of electricity from a coal-fired power station fitted with Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) of the wet limestone type fitted in the UK varies with a number of factors such as the sulphur and chlorine content of the coal and the electrical load, but would be typically in the range 3.5–7 per cent. This would be derived from the sulphur dioxide neutralisation process and from the corresponding drop in thermal efficiency of the power station arising from the electricity needed to power the FGD plant.
§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of whether the United Kingdom policy of discriminating against new gas-fired power stations will conflict with European Commission competition rules. [53323]
§ Mr. BattleThe Government's proposals arising from the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation, announced for consultation on 25 June, are considered to be fully consistent with European law.
§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the(a) current and (b) forthcoming rounds of coal contracts for electricity generation involve subsidy from (i) public funds or (ii) the generators; and what the levels of subsidy are likely to be. [53325]
§ Mr. BattleIn the preliminary conclusions of its Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation, the Government made it clear that coal purchase decisions, including price and other terms of supply, were a commercial matter for the generators. They also made it clear that they did not propose to subsidise any part of the UK coal industry.
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§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that the gas-fired electricity generating industry is not damaged by unfair competition. [53324]
§ Mr. BattleThe government's proposals arising from the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation were published for consultation on 25 June. We are now considering the responses and will announce our final conclusions shortly, once the material has been assessed.
§ Mrs. BrintonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the percentage contribution to United Kingdom energy needs of clean coal technology in(a) 2000, (b) 2005, (c) 2010, (d) 2015 and (e) 2020. [53327]
§ Mr. BattleNo estimates have been made on the percentage contribution cleaner coal technology will eventually make to UK energy supply or when existing coal capacity will be replaced. The timing for investment in cleaner coal technology is a matter for the generating companies.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the coal-fired electricity generation plant in the United Kingdom, together with the expected operational life of each plant. [54251]
§ Mr. BattleElectricity generators are private sector companies and the operational life of their plant is a commercial matter for them.
According to the Electricity Association, the trade association for the electricity industry, there are 24 coal fired power stations in the United Kingdom:
National Power: Aberthaw B, Blyth A, Blyth B, Didcot A, Drax, Eggborough, Willington B, Tilbury BPowerGen: Cottam, Ferrybridge C, Fiddlers Ferry, Ratcliffe, KingsnorthEastern Group: Drakelow C, High Marnham, Ironbridge, Rugely B, West BurtonScottish Power: Cockenzie, Longannet, Methil (coal slurry)Alcan: LynemouthNigen: Belfast West, Kilroot.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will set out for each United Kingdom planning region the estimated capital investment represented by all current outstanding applications for sections 14 and 36 Electricity Act consents; [54252]
(2) if he will list for each United Kingdom planning region the estimated employment in (a) construction, (b) manufacturing and (c) operation if all current application for sections 14 and 36 Electricity Act consents were granted. [54253]
§ Mr. BattleNo such estimates are available. This is not information collected for the purposes of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and section 14 of the Energy Act 1976.
§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contribution to the Government's target of a 20 per cent reduction in Carbon Dioxide emissions will be made by the electricity industry. [53986]
§ Mr. MandelsonThe Government will publish shortly a consultation paper on the policy options for achieving their climate change targets. This will focus on their 771W legally binding target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent. as well as looking at measures for moving beyond that to its domestic goal of a 20 per cent. reduction in CO2. The paper will look at the scope for emission reductions in all sectors, including the electricity industry.
§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Government's policy of building(a) gas-fired and (b) coal-fired power stations. [53980]
§ Mr. Battle[holding answer 31 July 1998j: I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 2 of chapter 5 of the consultation document on the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation, published on 25 June 1998.
§ Mr. RedwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what priority he accords to obtaining cheaper electricity for consumers in determining his energy policy. [53984]
§ Mr. MandelsonThe consultation document of 25 June 1998 proposed the continuation of the existing energy policy objective of secure, diverse and sustainable supplies of energy at competitive prices.
§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what international agreements cover the operation of the electricity interconnector between the United Kingdom and France; what principal obligations they impose on the parties; and when they are subject to renegotiation. [54672]
§ Mr. BattleThe operation of the electricity interconnector between the United Kingdom and France is covered by a private commercial agreement between the National Grid Company plc and Electricitè de France signed in 1993, the terms of which are confidential. I understand that this agreement expires in 2001.