Energy and Climate Change Minister Mike O'Brien has granted consent for three new power stations capable of providing approximately four million homes with electricity to be constructed at Pembroke, King's Lynn and Hatfield.

The new gas fired power stations will produce around 4 gigawatts of power and will help to secure the future supply of energy for British households.

The consented power stations are: a 2,000 MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power station at Pembroke, South West Wales to RWE npower; a 900 MW integrated coal gasification gas-fired power station at Hatfield, Yorkshire to Powerfuel Power Ltd and a 1,020 MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power station at King's Lynn, Norfolk to Centrica Leasing (KL) Ltd.

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Each power station agreed during the planning process that they will have the necessary land available to retrofit a carbon capture and storage plant for future use.

Consent was also given to build a second phase at Hatfield consisting of an integrated coal gasification combined cycle power station, which will use coal to produce hydrogen to fuel the station.

As part of the phase two process of producing the gas, the company has applied to capture and remove the carbon. This might involve piping it off-shore for long-term storage and possibly using a small volume for commercial purposes. This technology would dramatically reduce emissions into the atmosphere. Operation of this second phase will however be conditional on the company submitting further evidence to Ministers demonstrating the carbon can be stored safely.

(CD/JM)