Kingsnorth plan scrapped
Plans for
Plans for a new coal-fired power station at
Kingsnorth, near Hoo, have been put on hold.
It has been reported that energy firm
E.on said electricity demand had fallen due to the
recession, meaning a new plant was not needed in the UK until
around 2016.
The proposal has been hugely controversial and become a
focal point for protests by environmental campaigners.
Kingsnorth was chosen as the venue for a massive Climate Camp in
August last year.
A spokesman for E.on said: "We can
confirm that we expect to defer an investment decision on the
Kingsnorth proposals for up to two to three years.
"This is based on the global recession, which
has pushed back the need for new plant in the UK to around 2016
because of the reduction in demand for electricity.
Emily Highmore of
E.on tells why this isn't the end of Kingsnorth
"As a group, we remain committed to the
development of cleaner coal and carbon capture and storage (CCS),
which we believe have a key role to play alongside renewables, gas
and nuclear, in tackling the global threat of climate change while
ensuring affordability and security of energy supplies."
Greenpeace executive director John Sauven told
The Guardian: "This development is extremely good news for the
climate and in a stroke significantly reduces the chances of an
unabated Kingsnorth plant ever being built.
"The case for new coal is crumbling, with even
E.on now accepting it's not currently economic to build new
plants.
"The huge diverse coalition of people who have
campaigned against Kingsnorth because of the threat it posed to the
climate should take heart that emissions from new coal are now even
less likely in Britain."
Thursday, October 08 2009
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