Power Engineering - Cleaner coal fired power from Fiddler's Ferry

20 April 2005 - The UK government has granted consent for construction of a flue gas desulphurization (FGD) plant at Scottish and Southern Energy's Fiddler's Ferry Power Station in Warrington.

The consent to build, extend and operate power stations is required under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Separate consent for a first FGD unit at the site was granted previously on 29 June 2005.

Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks welcomed the investment in cleaner coal technology: "Coal and other fossil fuels remain vital ingredients in our energy mix, but we need to reduce the impact that burning them has on our environment. Fitting this new technology at Fiddler's Ferry is a welcome step forward and will help reduce the damaging effects of acid rain."

The flue gas desulphurization plant will be designed and operated as a chemical absorption process. Injection of a limestone slurry will remove over 90 per cent of the sulphur dioxide, one of the main causes of acid rain, from the combustion gases and produce de-sulpho gypsum.

The requirement to fit FGD technology at Fiddler's Ferry follows the decision by
Scottish and Southern Energy to opt in to the Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) for all of the capacity at its 2000 MW Fiddler's Ferry power and half of the capacity at its 2000 MW Ferrybridge power station in South Yorkshire. To do this will require the installation of FGD and an investment estimated to be around £225m ($402.6m). This is in addition to SSE's existing investment in the development of additional facilities at the stations to increase their ability to 'co-fire' fuels from renewable sources.

Lurgi (UK) Ltd has been appointed preferred bidder for the FGD installation work. Preliminary work has already started and is expected to be completed in time for the power stations to generate electricity through a 'de-sulphurized' process in the first half of 2008.

Opting capacity at the two stations in to the LCPD means that, following the installation of the FGD equipment, restrictions on their ability to generate electricity between 2008 and 2015 will be lifted and they will be able to remain open after 2015. The stations had been opted out of the LCPD by previous owners, which meant they were scheduled for full closure by 2015.

The electricity which the stations currently generate meets around 5 per cent of the demand for power in Great Britain in a typical year. Extending their lives beyond 2015 will, therefore, add significantly to the long-term security of the country's electricity supply. The decision to install FGD also represents a potential opportunity for UK deep-mined coal to help meet fuel requirements and SSE will explore this opportunity with UK coal producers.

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