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Closing coal-fired power stations was a disaster
Credit: 10th November heraldscotland.com ~~
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In October National Grid warned of possible power cuts in the coming winter. How is this possible in the world’s sixth-largest economy, in a country which pioneered every form of electricity generation through its innovating engineers and entrepreneurs?
I’ll tell you why. It was because of (EC) Directive 2001/80/EC taken up by Ed Miliband and his 2008 Climate Change Act to enact in law CO₂ reduction which sealed the fate of the coal-fired power stations which provided abundant 365-day electricity using British coal and British turbines, generators, instrumentation and cabling. Theresa May’s Climate Act, passed without debate, committing the UK to “net zero” ensured their demise.
In December 2012 Kingsnorth power station in Kent closed; 1940MW gone. In March 2013 Cockenzie power station, East Lothian, closed; 1152MW lost. In March 2013 Didcot A power station closed; 1958MW lost. In August 2013 Tilbury B power station closed;1428MW gone. In November 2015 Ironbridge B, Shropshire, closed; 1,000MW lost. In March 2016 Ferrybridge C closed; 2,000 MW lost. In March 2016 Longannet in Fife closed; 2,400 MW offline. Scotland’s First Minister would in 2021 be chauffeured from Edinburgh to press the button on the explosives which demolished its tall chimney. In June 2016 Rugley B, Staffordshire, closed; 1,000 MW offline. In March 2018 Eggborough power station, Yorkshire, closed; another 2,000 MW offline. In September 2019 Cottam power station closed; another 2,000 MW offline. In March 2020 Aberthaw B, Glamorgan closed; 1586MW lost. In March 2020 Fiddlers Ferry, on the Mersey, closed; 1961MW gone.
Just think of the enormity of the power that was lost – and the energy security. Compared with the output of these thermal power stations, the rated output of wind farms is small. Consequently, there have to be hundreds of them all over the countryside, and around our coasts. Most onshore wind farms are within the 20MW to 60MW range. A 2,000MW thermal power station will power two million homes. Not “could” but “will”.
This has been one of the greatest policy disasters of modern times.
William Loneskie, Lauder
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