ScottishPower wins gas plant green light

SCOTTISHPOWER's plans for a £500 million gas-fired power station in Kent were yesterday approved by the government.

UK energy minister Charles Hendry gave the go-ahead for the Iberdrola-owned company to build the 1,000-megawatt gas turbine plant near Hoo in Medway, next to the company's existing gas-fired Damhead Creek power station.

Roger Seshan, commercial development director at ScottishPower, said: "This is a major achievement and an important milestone for the proposed project."

Hendry said the power station would be built "carbon capture ready" so that CO2 from the site could eventually be stored under the North Sea. He added that the plant would play a vital role in providing secure electricity supplies for the south-east of England as well as creating jobs. ScottishPower has said Damhead Creek 2 could generate enough power for almost 1.5 million homes and that the plans could bring 1,000 construction jobs to the area and 50 permanent posts after it begins operating.