White Rose Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project
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White Rose Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project Land adjacent to and within the Drax Power Station site, Drax, near Selby, North Yorkshire Environmental Permit Chapter I – Introduction Applicant: Drax Power Limited Date: April 2015 Document History Document Number 1 Revision 0.4 Author Jim Doyle and Luke Jenkins Signed Date Approved By Signed Date Document Owner Drax Power Plc Revision History Revision No. Date Reason for Revision Authorised By 0.1 05.12.14 First Draft – Report Format 0.2 08.12.14 Second Draft – Inclusion of NTS and Interface Chapters 0.3 22.12.14 Separation of Chapters 0.4 31.03.15 Final Version Environment Permit EPR/VP3530LS/VO12 Page ii Glossary of Abbreviations and Definitions AOD Above Ordinance Datum ASU Air Separation Unit BS British Standard CCS Carbon Capture and Storage CEMP Construction Environmental Management Plan CPL Capture Power Limited dB Decibel EA Environment Agency EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMS Environmental Management System EPC Engineering, Procurement and Construction ES Environmental Statement FGD Flue Gas Desulphurisation FRA Flood Risk Assessment GPU Gas Processing Unit HGV Heavy Goods Vehicle LWS Local Wildlife Site MWe Megawatt NERC Natural Environment and Rural Communities (Act 2006) NSIP Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project NYCC North Yorkshire County Council PEIR Preliminary Environmental Information Report SAC Special Area of Conservation SINC Site of Importance for Nature Conservation SPA Special Protection Area SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest WHO World Health Organisation WSI Written Scheme of Investigation Environment Permit EPR/VP3530LS/VO12 Page iii CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT .................................................................................. 5 3.0 THE PROJECT’S ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC SETTING ..................... 8 FIGURES & TABLES FIGURE 1: SITE LOCATION PLAN…………………………………………….….………2 FIGURE 2: OXY PC POWER PLANT PROCESS…………………………………….….5 FIGURE 3: NOISE RECEPTOR LOCATIONS…………………………………….…….13 TABLE 1: CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES………………………………………………..6 TABLE 2: CONSTRUCTION PRORAMME……………………………………………….6 TABLE 3: ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURES…………………………….….….……….10 TABLE 4: SUMMARY OF BASELINE STUDIES COMPLETED……...………….....….9 TABLE 5: EIA INTERACTIONS………………………………..……………………….…10 Environment Permit EPR/VP3530LS/VO12 Page iv 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This chapter is an introduction to the Environment Permit application (‘the EP application’) for the White Rose Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Project (‘the Project’). The Project is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and therefore a Development Consent Order (DCO) is required under the Planning Act 2008. An application for a DCO has been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) on the 24 November 2014 and was accepted on 17 December 2014. 1.2 It should be noted that the information contained within this chapter and all other chapters for this Environment Permit application contains data that is provided based on the latest design and engineering information for the Project. If subsequent changes to this data is made, updates to the Environment Permit will also be made. White Rose CCS Environment Permit requirements 1.3 The DCO for the White Rose CCS Project has been submitted in the name of Capture Power Limited as the developer of the project and the owner of the power station. This EP application will be in the name of Drax Power Ltd, who will be the operator of the White Rose CCS Project. 1.4 There is currently an Environment Permit in place for Drax Power Station (Permit Number VP3530LS). The limits within the Drax Power Station Environment Permit will not be breached with the addition of the White Rose CCS Project discharges to controlled waters, therefore a variation of the Drax Power Station Environment Permit is being sought via this application. Overview of the White Rose CCS Project 1.5 Capture Power Limited (CPL) plans to construct and operate a new 448 MWe (gross) power station (super critical coal-fired with oxygen combustion technology) with the capacity to provide electricity to 630,000 households whilst capturing two million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year arising from the combustion process. The project will support the development of a carbon dioxide transport pipeline (a separate project developed by National Grid Carbon Ltd). This pipeline has been designed with additional capacity to be used by other industries and power stations in the Yorkshire and Humber area to transport their carbon dioxide emissions for permanent storage beneath the bed of the North Sea. 1.6 The Project is aligned with national strategies relating to the construction and operation of new electricity generation infrastructure whilst meeting UK energy sector carbon reduction targets (see for example the government’s CCS Roadmap: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/theccs- roadmap). The Project is also a key part of the development and commercialisation of carbon capture and storage technology, which the government is supporting through over £1Billion of capital and research and development funding. The Project site is located on land adjoining the existing Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, England. Environment Permit EPR/VP3530LS/VO12 1 Policy Context and the Need for the Project 1.7 The Climate Change Act 2008 sets an ambitious and binding target for the UK of at least an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 relative to the 1990 level, including an interim target of 26 % by 2020. This has led to, and will continue to lead to, a substantial array of government legislation (such as the Energy Acts 2004, 2008 and 2011) and policy that requires the development of energy sources with reduced carbon emissions. The Project will be important in developing and demonstrating CCS technology. By virtue of its nature and size the Project is categorised as a NSIP and requires approval under Section 37 of the Planning Act 2008. 1.8 The Planning Act 2008 fundamentally reformed the planning system for NSIPs, seeking to create a more efficient, transparent and accessible approach. The Act states that decisions on NSIPs must be taken in accordance with the relevant National Policy Statement (NPS) (where published). The NPSs set out types of infrastructure that are needed and the criteria by which projects to develop them should be assessed. 1.9 The first NPSs published were those for energy infrastructure, given the need to replace around a third of the UK’s electricity generating capacity over the next twenty years to maintain a resilient and secure supply. NPS EN-1 (Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy), EN-2 (Fossil Fuel Electricity Generating Infrastructure) and EN-5 (Electricity Networks Infrastructure) are relevant to the Project and were enacted on 19 July 2011. 1.10 The need for such development as the Project is therefore supported by a combination of: Environment Permit EPR/VP3530LS/VO12 2 • it falling within the categories of development set out in the Planning Act 2008 (as amended), and given the very clear statements of need in the NPSs; and • the contribution it and similar projects will make to the UK meeting binding targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. 1.11 It is also worth noting that the Project is one of two schemes supported under the government’s £1 Billion CCS commercialisation programme, with around £100 million of that funding supporting the detailed planning and engineering (FEED process). In around 2015, the projects will take financial investment decisions, with government potentially investing the remainder of the £1 billion to support construction. 1.12 The government believes that the only feasible way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and maintain fossil fuels in the electricity generation mix is to develop CCS technologies. Fossil fuels are an important part of the current and future energy mix because they allow a balance between the intermittency of renewable sources (as influenced by weather conditions) and the inflexibility of nuclear power. 1.13 At a national level the Project will contribute to realising a range of benefits, including: • generating electricity with low carbon dioxide emissions; • demonstrating oxyfuel CCS plant as a commercially viable technology; • improving the UK’s security and diversity of electricity supply by providing a new, flexible and reliable electricity generation option; • generating enough electricity to supply the energy needs of the equivalent of over 630,000 households with low carbon electricity, and • helping to establish carbon dioxide transportation and storage infrastructure capability which will in turn benefit other industrial businesses. 1.14 It is important that CCS is developed soon if the government wishes to maintain fossil fuel fired power plants in the energy mix. This is due to the forthcoming shortfall in power generation as older coal and gas fired plants reach end of life combined with the need to replace them in a way that does not compromise the ability of the UK to meet its carbon dioxide emissions targets. In addition, by the UK taking a leading role in CCS development and application there will be national benefits in terms of economic development and employment. Alternatives 1.15 With regard to alternatives, alternative locations, alternative technologies and the do-nothing scenario have been