Aberthaw awarded millions more in public subsidy
Aberthaw power station has recently been awarded £27 million from people’s electricity bills to ensure its continued operation [1].
It will receive the cash as its share of £80 million that has been awarded to three coal-fired power stations to generate electricity in 2019 [2].
Aberthaw has been pumping out more than double the legal amount of polluting nitrogen oxides for eight years [4], and it is the third-biggest point source of this pollutant in Europe [5].
Aberthaw has been pumping out more than double the legal amount of polluting nitrogen oxides for eight years [4], and it is the third-biggest point source of this pollutant in Europe [5].
Nitrogen oxides are hazardous pollutants that can cause serious problems for people with respiratory illness [6].
The European Commission announced in March last year [3] that it is taking the UK Government to court because of the excessive pollution from Aberthaw, the societal cost of which is estimated to be £438 million each year [7].
The Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, Gareth Clubb, said:
“It’s astonishing that Aberthaw, which has been hauled before the European Court of Justice because it is so polluting, is being rewarded with a huge subsidy from bill-payers to stay open in four years’ time. We’re already paying hundreds of millions of pounds in health and social impacts as a result of this power station burning coal – and now we’re paying millions more in cold, hard cash for it to burn some more in 2019.
“It’s a slap in the face for the UK Government, which has committed to phasing out all coal-fired power stations in the UK by 2025.
“Right across the world the coal industry is in retreat. In China, for example, there’s a moratorium on new coal mines, with more than 1,000 mines being closed early. Aberthaw is acting as if the Paris climate change agreement never happened. Its owners should recognise that coal’s day has gone, and commit to closure as soon as possible.
“That way they can also avoid the costs taxpayers are likely to face because the European Commission is suing the UK in order to stop the horrific levels of pollution coming from Aberthaw”
NOTES
1. https://www.emrdeliverybody.com/Capacity%20Markets%20Document%20Library/T-4%20Final%20Results%202015.pdf
2. https://sandbag.org.uk/site_media/pdfs/reports/Capacity_Mechanism_analysis4.pdf
3. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-4670_en.htm
4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-32077196 Since 1 January 2008 the European limit for nitrogen oxides has been 500mg/Nm3. The UK and Welsh authorities have permitted Aberthaw to emit up to 1,200mg/Nm3.
5. http://www.airclim.org/sites/default/files/acidnews_pdf/AN2-14.pdf Data for 2012
6. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/411756/COMEAP_The_evidence_for_the_effects_of_nitrogen_dioxide.pdf
7. NOx figure (32,000 tonnes) extrapolated from out-turn from first six months of 2015 (15,728 tonnes) SO2 figure (9,000 tonnes) extrapolated from out-turn from first six months of 2015 (4,728 tonnes) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/so2-nox-return-2014#history
The Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, Gareth Clubb, said:
“It’s astonishing that Aberthaw, which has been hauled before the European Court of Justice because it is so polluting, is being rewarded with a huge subsidy from bill-payers to stay open in four years’ time. We’re already paying hundreds of millions of pounds in health and social impacts as a result of this power station burning coal – and now we’re paying millions more in cold, hard cash for it to burn some more in 2019.
“It’s a slap in the face for the UK Government, which has committed to phasing out all coal-fired power stations in the UK by 2025.
“Right across the world the coal industry is in retreat. In China, for example, there’s a moratorium on new coal mines, with more than 1,000 mines being closed early. Aberthaw is acting as if the Paris climate change agreement never happened. Its owners should recognise that coal’s day has gone, and commit to closure as soon as possible.
“That way they can also avoid the costs taxpayers are likely to face because the European Commission is suing the UK in order to stop the horrific levels of pollution coming from Aberthaw”
NOTES
1. https://www.emrdeliverybody.com/Capacity%20Markets%20Document%20Library/T-4%20Final%20Results%202015.pdf
2. https://sandbag.org.uk/site_media/pdfs/reports/Capacity_Mechanism_analysis4.pdf
3. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-4670_en.htm
4. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-32077196 Since 1 January 2008 the European limit for nitrogen oxides has been 500mg/Nm3. The UK and Welsh authorities have permitted Aberthaw to emit up to 1,200mg/Nm3.
5. http://www.airclim.org/sites/default/files/acidnews_pdf/AN2-14.pdf Data for 2012
6. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/411756/COMEAP_The_evidence_for_the_effects_of_nitrogen_dioxide.pdf
7. NOx figure (32,000 tonnes) extrapolated from out-turn from first six months of 2015 (15,728 tonnes) SO2 figure (9,000 tonnes) extrapolated from out-turn from first six months of 2015 (4,728 tonnes) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/so2-nox-return-2014#history
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