The proposed £200 million Hirwaun gas fired power station in Wales has taken a major step forward with submission of an application for a Development Consent Order following consultation last year.
Around 250 construction jobs would be created during the three year development of the 299 megawatt project that will generate enough electricity for 400,000 homes and is to be completed by 2018.
A similar number of construction jobs will be created at another project being developed by the same company, Watt Power, through its subsidiary Progress Power Ltd for a gas fired power station of the same size as Hirwaun on a disused United States air base at Eye Airfield, Suffolk. An application for a Development Consent is to be submitted for the project this month and completion is also expected for 2018.
The Hirwaun consultation process resulted in several changes to the original design including changing the siting of the plant on the site. Progress Power has reduced the height of its chimneys from 90 metres to 30 metres following consultation.
The plants use Simple Cycle Gas Turbine generation. Both will involve connection to the National Gas Transmission System via underground pipelines, as well as underground electrical connection to connect to the national grid.
Hirwaun Power’s Project director Norman Campbell said, “Consultation with local communities and organisations is vitally important to us. It provides us with an opportunity to explain our project in detail and get feedback to help with the development of our proposals.
“If the proposals are realised, the power plant would be ultra-modern and a very significant investment in the local economy. The project would directly create new jobs and provide opportunities for a variety of other local companies to supply and support the operation and maintenance of the power station in the future.”
