What is happening about the demolition of Ferrybridge C?

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1 Frequently Asked Questions published 15 November 2018 Scheme proposals Why are you planning to build a gas fired power station here? The Project would provide a long-term replacement for the former coal-fired power station at the site the first in Europe to succeed in generating power from a 500 megawatt turbine. The site is suitable for continued power generation, and the proposed gas fired power station would provide similar electrical output to the former coal-fired station with much higher efficiency, and lower emissions, land take and traffic impacts. The Ferrybridge D Project would provide reliable generation of up to 2,200MW ( 2.2GW), equivalent to around 4% of the UK s peak electricity demand. It would therefore make a significant contribution to the security, flexibility and decarbonisation of the UK s electricity network. What is happening about the demolition of Ferrybridge C? Since its closure in March 2016, the station has undergone an extensive decommissioning project and has now been handed over to a specialist demolition contractor, Keltbray, who will carry out demolition activities. This work is being undertaken under a separate permission and will be completed prior to the development of Ferrybridge D. The activities are expected to take between two and three years. More information can be found at Why are three cooling towers proposed to be retained? The CCGT requires cooling to operate. At Stage 1 consultation, we explained that a number of cooling methods were under consideration, including re-using four cooling towers, air cooling (dry or fan cooling), or hybrid cooling (a combination of wet and dry cooling). Chapter 6 of the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) sets out the rationale for the preferred cooling method of wet cooling, re-using the cooling towers, balancing environmental, efficiency, road safety risks and lifecycle costs. This follows discussions with the Environment Agency, who will be considering our Environmental Permit application, and Highways England, who manage the A1(M). It is only necessary to retain three of the existing cooling towers, however, rather than the four that were anticipated at the time of the Stage 1 consultation proposals. We have also carried out technical studies to decide which three towers we would prefer to retain, which is the northernmost three of the eastern row of towers. Therefore the two towers nearest to Stranglands Lane and the communities to the south will not be retained. What is the rationale for selecting the power island area for the CCGT? Within the Ferrybridge power station site, two potential site options for the Proposed Development were identified at Stage 1 consultation: On part of the area currently occupied by the former coal-fired power station; and On the former coal stockyard Since Stage 1 consultation we have carried out engineering studies and also considered environmental receptors in the local area. The main considerations were: Access to electricity sub-station and transmission infrastructure; 1

2 Access to cooling water and groundwater; Proximity to sensitive receptors; and Access for construction and operational traffic. A detailed summary of each of the above factors can be found in the PEIR (Chapter 6). The decision has been made to select the site of the former coal-fired generating station as the site for the new power station (the Proposed power station Site). This decision means that the power generation infrastructure is co-located in a fairly central location within the wider Ferrybridge C site. This will allow greater opportunity to reduce the visual impact of the larger structures from nearby areas. Why does SSE wish to have the option of building a peaking plant? At Stage 1 consultation, we identified that the plant may provide reserve peaking services, subject to further design and assessment work. We have now identified that a single Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) unit of up to 299MW would be suited to this function and could be located between the CCGT units and the three retained cooling towers. Whilst CCGT units are a flexible form of generation, a peaking plant in the form of an OCGT would provide a flexible fast response generation that can be turned on or off at short notice (typically within half an hour) at peak times (generally mornings or early evenings) or in response to fluctuations in intermittent generation sources such as wind and solar. Why have you selected the central gas pipeline option, of the three shown at Stage 1? Three areas of search for the gas pipeline were identified and considered at the Scoping and Stage 1 consultation stages. A northern, central and southern route were shown at Stage 1 consultation with some sub-options between them. Following further analysis of technical, environmental and planning considerations, along with feedback received from Stage 1, the northern and southern routes were discounted and the central route was selected. The northern route would have connected to the feeder south of Hambleton and from there run to the north of Burton Salmon before passing through Brotherton Ings before crossing the River Aire to the site. This route was deemed less preferable due to proximity to residential areas, risks from historic mining subsidence and difficulties in crossing the Brotherton Ings site. The southern route would have run south west alongside the River Aire, reaching Sutton Lane and continuing west. This route was deemed less preferable on the basis that much of the route lies along the functional floodplain of the River Aire. Additionally, difficulties were also identified in the utilisation of a congested underpass along the route of the B6136 Stranglands Lane under the railway line, which could have been disruptive to local services such as gas, water and telecoms. The central route is located mainly on agricultural land remote from areas of population, areas of flood risk, and sensitive heritage and ecological receptors. For the above reasons, the central route has been selected, along with a more detailed assessment being conducted prior to the submission of the DCO application. Since scoping and Stage 1 consultation, the proposed central pipeline corridor has also been narrowed from 250m to 100m based on further evaluation of environmental factors, landowner engagement and engineering evaluation. At the project website and at the consultation events we are providing a flyover video of the route and its environment. More information on the selection of the preferred pipeline route can be found in the PEIR. 2

3 What will the Above Ground Installation (AGI) at Pale Lane look like? The AGI will contain engineering equipment and apparatus that allows the pipeline to be maintained and kept safe, so will have a functional appearance. It will be hard surfaced internally and surrounded by a metal fence, outside of which screen planting can be situated. Our plans show an indicative, maximum footprint and layout for the AGI along with an allowance for screening planting around it. It is possible that the AGI will not require the maximum footprint shown and the detailed design would be a matter for National Grid Gas (who would operate one half of the AGI), along with SSE, who would prepare detailed designs and jointly develop the AGI if Ferrybridge D is developed. Next steps What is the process for developing the project further? Written feedback received during this formal round of consultation will be considered in forming the final proposals for the DCO application. Responses will also be shared with the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ( SoS ), and reviewed as part of the Consultation Report, with personal information removed. The Consultation Report will contain a summary and analysis of all consultation undertaken for the project and is submitted as part of the DCO application. We are proposing to submit the application to the Planning Inspectorate in Q1/Q2 2019, seeking development consent from the SoS. The application submitted will reflect our final proposals and take into consideration representations received of the two stages of consultation. Should the DCO be made (i.e. consent granted) a final investment decision by SSE would need to be made prior to construction. The DCO would also contain a range of legal protections and requirements, some of these similar to planning conditions, which would govern the detailed design and implementation of the project. How long would it take to construct the project? Construction of the project could begin in 2021 and the power station could be operational by The timescales are dependent on obtaining consent, and technical and investment decisions. What is a Development Consent Order and what is the planning process? A DCO is a piece of legislation that includes any necessary consents and powers such as planning permission, highways works and the ability to compulsorily acquire land or rights over land. We are required to obtain a DCO before we can build and operate the project because it is defined as a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) under Section 15(2)(c) of the Planning Act Before applying for a DCO, we are required to carry out pre-application consultation with statutory consultees (such as local authorities) and with the community (in accordance with a Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC) setting out our methods of consultation). We published our SoCC on 28 September The Stage 1 Consultation was held during March/April 2018, with four public exhibitions, during which members of the public were given the chance to express their thoughts on the initial project designs, and documents also available on the project website. This feedback collected at stage 1, along with the comments received during this statutory stage 2 consultation, will be considered and documented in the finalisation of our proposals. 3

4 This statutory round of pre-application consultation is the main opportunity available to provide comments about the Project. After this stage, the main elements of the project will be finalised and the application submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. It is therefore important that if you wish to provide feedback you participate in the current round of consultation by providing written feedback using the methods provided, by 5pm on 17 December We expect to submit our application to the Planning Inspectorate in Q1/Q The examination will be public and is mainly conducted in writing,but will include some local hearings. Interested parties should register with the Planning Inspectorate to participate. They will appoint an independent examining authority who will conduct a public examination into the application and then make a recommendation about whether the Secretary of State should grant or refuse consent and the detailed terms of any grant of consent. The examination will take around six months, and three months after this the Planning Inspectorate recommendation is made to the Secretary of State who will make a final decision on the application three months later. The Secretary of State will decide the application taking into account government policy set out in the National Policy Statements (NPSs) for Energy, as well as local impacts, information provided by interested parties, the case for granting powers such as land acquisition, and the impacts and benefits of the Project. For further information on the planning process, please visit: or NIenquiries@pins.gsi.gov.uk or call Wider issues Why do we need a gas-fired power station? The UK needs to develop new electricity generation capacity to replace its ageing coal-fired power stations as well as provide flexible backup to intermittent renewable sources. This needs to happen to help safeguard the security of electricity supply to the country s homes and businesses. The urgent need for new generation capacity, including gas-fired power stations, is set out in the Government s National Policy Statement (NPS EN-1): Fossil fuel power stations play a vital role in providing reliable electricity supplies: they can be operated flexibly in response to changes in supply and demand, and provide diversity in our energy mix. Fossil fuel generating stations contribute to security of energy supply by using fuel from a variety of suppliers and operating flexibly. Gas will continue to play an important role in the electricity sector providing vital flexibility to support an increasing amount of low-carbon generation and to maintain security of supply. The project would provide a valuable contribution towards meeting the need, on a particularly suitable site with limited local impacts and existing electrical and cooling water connections. Where does the gas come from? The National Transmission System (NTS) is a network of gas pipelines that supply gas to power stations and large industrial users such as natural gas terminals and gas distribution companies. 4

5 A NTS pipeline passes north-south near Gateforth in North Yorkshire and we are proposing to develop a new pipeline to connect to it, of around 9.8km length, as part of the project. The NTS is owned and operated by National Grid Gas plc who source natural gas from both domestic reserves (forming almost half of all gas supply in 2017) and imports from a variety of sources such as Norway (forming more than 20% of gas supplies in 2017). The UK has substantial conventional gas reserves. SSE are major investors in the exploration and production of these reserves, and are partners to Total in the recent major gas discovery on the Glendronach prospect, west of Shetland. This forms part of a diverse portfolio of energy sources, reflecting UK energy policy which requires that reliance on one source is avoided and a diverse mix of energy sources for electricity generation is maintained. Scheme impacts What will be the impact on traffic during construction? During construction, there is the potential for adverse, temporary impacts therefore we are assessing the capacity of roads in the local area as part of our application for the DCO. Following assessment work the construction traffic route has been chosen, with access to the site via Hinton Lane and C Gate. Therefore Kirkhaw Lane, as used on FM1 and FM2, would not be used by construction traffic. The results of the assessment, and forms of traffic management or other mitigation, will be discussed with the local authorities and examined by the Planning Inspectorate. For the pipeline construction, there may be traffic management measures required at times but we anticipate that these will be in place only for a few weeks at individual locations. During operation the project should have no adverse impacts upon traffic and the highway network, since the project will be fuelled by natural gas brought in by pipeline. Will the facility affect air quality? An Air Quality Assessment, which looks at existing air quality, the potential impact of the facility and associated traffic on local air quality, and any mitigation measures, will be undertaken as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment needed to accompany the planning application. The height of the stack will be designed to ensure that there are no significant effects. How high will the stacks be? Based on air quality and air dispersion modelling, it is expected that the stack will be up to 117m high. This is not as tall as the existing stack for the Ferrybridge C power station (198m) and is similar to the stacks for FM1 and FM2. The final height will be determined by the outcome of air quality modelling currently being undertaken and subsequent agreement with the Environment Agency. Do you need an environmental permit to operate the facility? Yes. We will be agreeing the key principles required for our Environmental Permit application with the Environment Agency at the same time as applying for our DCO. What will be the noise impacts? The main sources of noise are the turbines themselves (generally housed within a building), the stack, and cooling equipment. These are less dispersed than the noise sources in a coal-fired power station (such as the existing Ferrybridge C) such as 5

6 conveyors, rail sidings and ash tipping. We have also considered noise in the layout of the project. We therefore do not anticipate that there will be significant noise impacts from the operation of Ferrybridge D CCGT power station. What will be the carbon emissions? The carbon emissions are anticipated to be around two thirds of the former coal fired power station (6000 MT CO2 equivalents per year against more than 9,000 MT for the operation of Ferrybridge C). This is based on a realistic worst case (upper estimate) of running hours and reflects the high efficiency of the turbines. SSE is proposing to use cutting edge J Class turbines in this development which are among the most efficient in the world reducing the carbon dioxide emitted per megawatt hour electricity generated to as low a level as possible. What will be the impact on the River Aire? The cooling system will require a supply of river water and this would be obtained under the site s existing water abstraction and discharge permits. The volume of water and is anticipated to be significantly less than (below half) that used by the former coal station, and the thermal load will also be lower. Some works will be needed to improve and maintain the abstraction and discharge points, most significantly the installation of an eel screen at the abstraction point to prevent eels being drawn into the cooling system. Installation of this screen will require the dewatering of the area around the abstraction point by using a temporary sheet piled coffer dam which would extend to approximately half the river s width. Can you tell me about the full range of potential environmental impacts? SSE s environmental policy commits us to assessing the environmental impact of new developments and mitigating a range of negative impacts, and managing, protecting, and enhancing biodiversity, minimising noise and dust impacts, and applying the waste hierarchy. We have also prepared a Preliminary Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) and made this available to the public. The PEIR presents the findings of the environmental impact assessment work carried out to date and identifies the likely impacts of the project. During this Stage 2 consultation you can read the PEIR online at the Project website, at the inspection locations nearby (Wakefield One, Airedale Library, Pontefract Library and Selby Civic Centre) or at one of our public consultation events. This includes figures (maps and plans) and a Non Technical Summary (NTS) document. What impacts will there be on public rights of way during construction? The gas pipeline route crosses eight public footpaths at Wood Lane, Hagg Lane, east of Marsh Lane and south of Byram and along the track adjacent to Marsh Drain. These will need to be closed for around 3 months to allow construction to take place safely. We will seek to minimise the duration of closures, however, to minimise the potential for inconvenience to footpath users. No bridleways are believed to be affected. Certain types of roads or byways (Wood Lane, Hagg Lane and Marsh Drain) provide viable access routes to the construction areas so will be closed for a period. Is the project safe? Yes. Gas fired power stations have to comply with strict regulations and emissions are tightly regulated and controlled. Air quality, traffic, noise, waste and soil impacts will be considered within our environmental impact assessment, and human health risks evaluated 6

7 How many jobs will it create (in construction, operation and through third party suppliers)? Will the project benefit the local economy? It is expected that there will be around 1,000 workers on site during the construction period on average. The number of jobs supported by the operation of the site will be 70. It is expected that local economy benefitted from around 10 million of additional business for local hotels, restaurants and other service providers during the development of Ferrybridge Multifuel 1, and we expect a similar amount for Ferrybridge D CCGT. As part of its Responsible Procurement Charter SSE is committed to supporting local economic supply chains, ensuring that real economic and social benefits flow to local businesses and communities as a result of our investment in new energy infrastructure. Land requirements Does SSE own all the land needed for the project? SSE Generation Ltd, the applicant (SSE) owns the Ferrybridge C site and therefore the land required for constructing and operating the gas fired generating station and its electrical connection. Some of the land potentially needed for works to the cooling water outfalls is not in SSE s ownership, being for example the Canal and River Trust. Most of the land required for the gas pipeline route, which form part of the project, is also not in the ownership of SSE. The temporary land requirements for construction of the gas pipeline are, in summary, a 36m working width, along with areas for auger and horizontal direct drilling drive and reception sites and the AGI construction, and suitable road accesses. A provisional route is shown in the consultation boards and the PEIR and comments are invited on this. The permanent land requirement for the gas pipeline is, in summary, a 16m easement, along with ownership of the AGI land. Once the pipeline is constructed, the easement would be denoted by marker posts (some are already visible in the countryside nearby) while development and planting are unlikely to be allowed within the easement to avoid impacts to the pipeline. In common with many Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, the draft DCO will seek compulsory acquisition powers for the land not owned by SSE, to provide certainty that the land will be available. Compulsory acquisition matters will therefore form part of the public examination which will include public hearings for interested parties. However, SSE is committed to seeking acquisition of the necessary land interests through negotiation. I have received correspondence from Ardent Management asking about my property. Do I have to fill this in? We are required to carry out comprehensive enquiries into property interests along the route and have sent out forms to seek the information that allows us to notify all bodies with a legal interest in the land and commence discussions with them. However it is not mandatory to fill this in and return it. We have previously sent forms to properties based on early scheme options we were considering, namely the northern pipeline route (Brotherton Ings and Burton Salmon to Hambleton) or southern (Ferry Bridge to south of Birkin and west of West Haddlesey) gas pipeline routes (now discounted) or developing the gas-fired generating station on a site 7

8 within Ferrybridge C but further south and nearer to Stranglands Lane (also discounted). If you have property in the vicinity of these locations and have received a form, it is now unlikely that we require any information, therefore the form can be disregarded and we will contact you if this changes. If you have property lying within the red line boundary shown at Stage 2 consultation then you should have received, or will shortly receive, communication from Ardent Management, on behalf of SSE, to understand specific issues of relevance and the type of interest potentially required. You may wish to take professional advice or representation. If you have any queries of a property nature please do not hesitate to contact Ardent Management using the details supplied, or alternatively the project team. 8