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Npower
Grants Reprieve to Radley Lakes
No
need for Thrupp Lake "in the short term"
[posted
18/02/2008]
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Today,
RWE npower issued the following press
release
Upturn
in market for recycled ash helps put Radley scheme
on hold
RWE
npower is deferring its plan to fill Thrupp Lake
near Radley with coal ash from Didcot Power Station.
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The
company says that the recent successes of its ash
recycling and reuse programme have meant the Thrupp
Lake scheme is not needed in the short term.
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Recently
npower has secured new contracts to recycle the Didcot
ash for use in industry, including road-building projects.
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Other
factors have also contributed to the deferral. Milder
weather conditions over two successive winters have
resulted in less power than normal being generated
at Didcot, which has in turn reduced the amount of
ash produced on site.
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Changing
energy market conditions may also mean a more evenly-distributed
rate of coal ash production in the run up to the Station's
closure, due by the end of 2015, making the volumes
more manageable.
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John
Rainford, Manager of Didcot Power Station said: "This
is good news. We have always worked very hard
to find the best ash solutions and we'll continue
to do so. As a result of our efforts we've managed
to take advantage of a stronger market for ash re-use.
This means we are now able to put the use of Thrupp
Lake on hold for the time being.
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"We
take our environmental responsibilities very seriously
and we will always look for opportunities to minimise
the impact of what we do. We will keep the situation
under constant review, but we won't be progressing
immediately with the construction work that would
be required before ash disposal could commence on
site."
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"It
is still too early to say whether we can avoid having
to use Thrupp Lake before the station's closure by
end of 2015, but we will of course keep the local
community up to date on developments," he said.
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Responses
to this announcement have been mixed, ranging from jubilation
to downright cynicism. |
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Save
Radley Lakes, which has been running a strenuous
campaign for nearly 3 years to stop npower destroying
the Lakes, cautiously welcomed npower's announcement.
Chairman, Dr Basil Crowley, said |
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"Even
though it does not go as far as we would like, this
is a very significant statement by npower. It is the
first time that they have admitted that they might
not need Thrupp Lake after all. However we have to
pay some heed to their timing, coming as it does just
as a judicial review of Oxfordshire's recent decision
not to register the area as a town green is about
to be launched. (See News
Story) and we also have to question the substance
of the announcement. In effect, npower are saying
that they don't need the lake yet.
It is already too late for them to start work this
spring, because of the bird nesting season. We sincerely
hope that they are not merely using the fact that
they have not scheduled work to begin immediately
as a ploy to try to head off the threat of a judicial
review."
"Under
the European Large Combustion Plant Directive, the
power station has to close by 2015, and can only operate
for 20,000 hours from the beginning of this year.
The maximum amount of ash they can produce is therefore
limited by that fact. Every day that passes when they
don't need to Thrupp Lake reduces the likelihood that
they will ever need it in the future. There will eventually
come a time that there won't be enough ash available
to fill the lake as planned. When that point comes,
the lake will be safe. Until then, or until npower
commit themselves to saving it for posterity, the
threat of infilling remains, hanging over the lake
like a Sword of Damocles."
"Save
Radley Lakes has always questioned why a valuable
resource, with a myriad of possible uses, should be
sent irretrievably to landfill. Npower have now responded
positively to that criticism and we welcome that."
"However,
until npower offer a permanent solution, the campaign
must go on."
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Commenting
on the announcement, Dr Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat
MP for Oxford West and Abingdon said,
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"I
am delighted at this news as will be my constituents
who love the lakes as a local beauty spot."
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"Save
Radley Lakes deserve huge praise for their campaign
- which not only opposed the plan to fill the lakes
but did fantastic work pointing out less environmentally
damaging alternatives."
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"What
we now need is clarification from RWE npower on a
number of issues such as how quickly they will make
good the site, how long they can guarantee that the
lakes will not be filled, and - given the planned
closure in 2015 - when they can give local people
the assurance that we seek that the lakes can be used
in perpetuity?"
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| Meanwhile, in Radley, the parish council
is consulting residents to seek their support in pursuing
a judicial review of Oxfordshire County Council's recent
decision not to grant town green status to the lakes (see
story). A ballot of households is currently being
held, asking people if they would support a judicial review
by the parish council. Voting forms have been distributed
to every household in the parish and must be returned
by Monday 25th February. |
