Gateway Energy Centre ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT Volume 1 Prepared by February 2010 CONTENTS Page LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS PREFACE 1 SECTION 1 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.2 The GEC Project 3 1.3 The Developer 6 1.4 Overview of Consenting Process 6 1.5 Environmental Statement 7 SECTION 2 9 RATIONALE FOR DEVELOPMENT 9 2.1 Background 11 2.2 Current Power Generation Capacity and Electricity Demand 11 2.3 Location of New Power Plant 14 SECTION 3 17 PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT 17 3.1 Overview 19 3.2 Legislative Background 19 3.3 National Policy 20 3.4 Regional Policy 31 3.5 Local Policy 35 SECTION 4 41 DESCRIPTION OF GEC 41 4.1 GEC Application Details 43 4.2 Operation of GEC 44 4.3 Construction of GEC 49 4.4 Decommissioning of GEC 51 SECTION 5 53 DESCRIPTION OF THE GEC SITE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS 53 5.1 The GEC Site 55 5.2 The London Gateway Development 55 5.3 The GEC and London Gateway Development Site Surroundings56 5.4 Historic GEC and London Gateway Development Site Uses 57 5.5 Designated Sites in the Area 58 5.6 Other Developments with Potential Cumulative and Indirect Impacts 59 Gateway Energy Centre – Environmental Statement Volume 1 February 2010 SECTION 6 61 ALTERNATIVES 61 6.1 Introduction 63 6.2 Alternative Development Sites 63 6.3 Alternative Power Generation Technologies 66 6.4 Alternative Cooling Technologies 73 6.5 Alternative Layouts 74 6.6 Alternative Infrastructure Connections 75 SECTION 7 77 EIA METHODOLOGY AND ES CONTENT 77 7.1 Overview 79 7.2 Environmental Impact Assessment Project Team 79 7.3 Purpose of the Environmental Impact Assessment 79 7.4 Methodology of the Environmental Impact Assessment 79 7.5 Presentation of the Environmental Impact Assessment 81 7.6 Content of the Environmental Statement 82 SECTION 8 85 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS AND ADDITIONAL STUDIES 85 8.1 Overview 87 8.2 Discussions with Consultees 87 8.3 Community Involvement / Residents Information Days 87 8.4 Additional Studies 88 8.5 Future Consultations 92 SECTION 9 93 AIR QUALITY 93 9.1 Summary 95 9.2 Introduction 96 9.3 Key Planning Policies 96 9.4 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria 96 9.5 Baseline Conditions and Receptors 98 9.6 Potential Impacts 107 9.7 Mitigation Measures and Monitoring Programmes 122 9.8 Assessment of Residual Effects 123 9.9 Assessment of Cumulative and Indirect Effects 123 SECTION 10 125 NOISE AND VIBRATION 125 10.1 Summary 127 10.2 Introduction 127 10.3 Key Planning Policies 127 Gateway Energy Centre – Environmental Statement Volume 1 February 2010 10.4 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria 128 10.5 Baseline Conditions and Receptors 129 10.6 Potential Impacts 130 10.7 Mitigation 134 10.8 Assessment of Residual Effects 135 10.9 Assessment of Cumulative Effects 136 SECTION 11 137 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL 137 11.1 Summary 139 11.2 Introduction 139 11.3 Key Planning Policies 139 11.4 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria 139 11.5 Baseline Conditions and Receptors 148 11.6 Potential Impacts 156 11.7 Mitigation Measures and Monitoring Programmes 163 11.8 Assessment of Residual Effects 164 11.9 Assessment of Cumulative Effects 164 SECTION 12 167 ECOLOGY 167 12.1 Summary 169 12.2 Introduction 169 12.3 Key Legislation and Planning Policies 170 12.4 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria 171 12.5 Baseline Conditions and Valued Ecological Receptors 176 12.6 Potential Impacts 189 12.7 Mitigation Measures and Monitoring Programmes 199 12.8 Assessment of Residual Impacts 201 12.9 Assessment of Cumulative Impacts 202 12.10 References 202 SECTION 13 205 WATER QUALITY 205 13.1 Summary 207 13.2 Introduction 207 13.3 Key Planning Policies 207 13.4 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria 207 13.5 Baseline Conditions and Receptors 208 13.6 Potential Impacts 209 13.7 Mitigating Measures and Monitoring Programmes 212 13.8 Assessment of Residual Effects 214 13.9 Assessment of Cumulative Effects 216 SECTION 14 217 Gateway Energy Centre – Environmental Statement Volume 1 February 2010 GEOLOGY, HYDROLOGY AND LAND CONTAMINATION 217 14.1 Summary 219 14.2 Introduction 220 14.3 Legislative Context and Key Policies 220 14.4 Assessment Methodology 220 14.5 Significance Criteria 221 14.6 Current Baseline Conditions and Receptors 225 14.7 Future Baseline Conditions 231 14.8 Potential Impacts 232 14.9 Mitigation 234 14.10 Assessment of Residual Impacts 236 14.11 Assessment of Cumulative Impacts 239 SECTION 15 241 TRAFFIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE 241 15.1 Summary 243 15.2 Introduction 243 15.3 Key Planning Policies 243 15.4 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria 244 15.5 Baseline Conditions and Receptors 245 15.6 Potential Impacts 247 15.7 Mitigation 254 15.8 Assessment of Residual Impacts 255 15.9 Cumulative Impacts 255 SECTION 16 261 CULTURAL HERITAGE 261 16.1 Summary 263 16.2 Introduction 264 16.3 Key Planning Policies 265 16.4 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria 265 16.5 Baseline Conditions and Receptors 269 16.6 Archaeological Potential at the Site 269 16.7 Potential Impacts 279 16.9 Assessment of Residual Impacts 281 16.10 Assessment of Cumulative Impacts 281 SECTION 17 283 SOCIO-ECONOMICS 283 17.1 Summary 285 17.2 Introduction 285 17.3 Key Planning Policies 285 17.4 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria 286 17.5 Baseline Conditions and Receptors 286 Gateway Energy Centre – Environmental Statement Volume 1 February 2010 17.6 Potential Impacts 290 17.7 Mitigation 292 17.8 Assessment of Cumulative Impacts 292 SECTION 18 295 SUMMARY OF MITIGATION AND MONITORING 295 18.1 Summary 297 18.2 Air Quality 297 18.3 Noise and Vibration 298 18.4 Landscape and Visual 300 18.5 Ecology 300 18.6 Water Quality 303 18.7 Geology Hydrology and Land Contamination 304 18.8 Traffic and Infrastructure 306 18.9 Cultural Heritage 307 18.10 Socio-Economics 308 ____________________________ VOLUME 2 APPENDIX A RELEVANT PLANNING POLICIES APPENDIX B LG DEVELOPMENT / DP WORLD REPORTS REFERENCED APPENDIX C ADDITIONAL NOISE INFORMATION APPENDIX D FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT APPENDIX E ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESK BASED ASSESSMENT ____________________________ VOLUME 3 FIGURES ____________________________ Gateway Energy Centre – Environmental Statement Volume 1 February 2010 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AADT Annual Average Daily Traffic ACC Air Cooled Condenser AGI Above Ground Installation AGLV Areas of Great Landscape Value AHLV Area of High Landscape Value AOD Above Ordnance Datum AQMA Air Quality Management Area BAT Best Available Technique BAP Biodiversity Action Plan BERR Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform BGS British Geological Society BTO British Trust for Ornithology CCGT Combined Cycle Gas Turbine CCR Carbon Capture Ready CCS Carbon Capture and Storage CDM Construction Design and Management CECL Coryton Energy Company Limited CEMP Construction Environmental Management Plan CHP Combined Heat and Power CHPA Combined Heat and Power Association CHPQA Quality Assurance for Combined Heat and Power CO carbon monoxide CO2 carbon dioxide COMAH Control of Major Accident Hazards COSHH Control of Substances Hazardous to Health CPI Confederation of Paper Industries CRF Congestion Reference Flow CSM Conceptual Site Model °C Degrees Celsius DAS Design and Access Statement dB(A) decibels (absolute) DBA Desk Based Assessment DC Direct Current DCLG Department of Community and Local Government DCS Distributed Control System DECC Department of Energy and Climate Change DEFRA Department for the Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs DETR Department of Environment Transport and the Regions DFO Distillate Fuel Oil DfT Department for Transport DLN Dry Low NOx DMRB Design Manual for Roads and Bridges DP Dubai Ports DPD Development Plan Document DTI Department for Trade and Industry EA Environmental Assessment EC European Community EEP East of England Regional Spatial Strategy EERA East of England Regional Assembly EHO Environmental Health Officer EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMMP Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan EMOR Energy Markets Outlook Report EPR Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 ES Environmental Statement ESCO Energy Service Companies ETG Essex Thames Gateway ETS Emission Trading Scheme EU European Union Gateway Energy Centre – Environmental Statement Volume 1 February 2010 EWT Essex Wildlife Trust FGD Flue Gas Desulphurisation FRA Flood Risk Assessment g/MWh grams per megawatt hour GEC Gateway Energy Centre GECL Gateway Energy Centre Limited GW gigawatt GWe gigawatts electric ha hectare HEO Harbour Empowerment Order HER Historic Environment Record HGV Heavy Goods Vehicle HRSG heat recovery steam generator HSC hazardous substances consent HSE Health and Safety Executive HV high voltage IEEM Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management IPC Infrastructure Planning Commission JNCC Joint Nature Conservation Committee JSA Job Seekers Allowance km kilometre km2 Kilometre squared LAQM Local Air Quality Management LBAP Local Biodiversity Action Plan LCPD Large Combustion Plant Directive LCI Landscapes of County Importance LCV lower calorific value LDD Local Development Documents LDF Local Development Framework LDS Local Development Scheme LG London Gateway LLCA Local Landscape Character Area LNG Liquefied Natural Gas LNR Local Nature Reserve LPA Local Planning Authority LVIA Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment m metre m2 Metres squared m/s Metres per second μg/m3 micrograms per metre cubed Mm/s Millimetres per second mg/Nm3 milligrams per normal metre cubed MJ/m3 megajoules per metre cubed MWe megawatts electric MWth megawatts thermal NAQS National Air Quality Strategy NE Natural