Plans by Peel Energy Ltd have been submitted to the Scottish Government today for a new for a 1600MW coal fired power station at Hunterston in Ayrshire.
Commenting West of Scotland Liberal Democrat MSP Ross Finnie said:

“The Scottish Government must not approve this application until it has explained how it intends to control the unabated emissions and how these emissions square with its Climate change targets.

“Carbon capture and storage offers a great opportunity for Scotland to reduce our carbon emissions.

“But it should be developed on existing coal fired power stations as it is proposed at Longannet.

“If the trial at Longannet is a success, existing CO² emissions will be reduced and this new technology will have proved its worth.

“However at the proposed Hunterston site up to 1300 MW of new unabated emissions will be blasted in to the atmosphere that may amount to 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per annum.”