Centrica has received planning permission to build a 50 MW gas power plant at Peterborough which will mainly operate during peak demand periods. Capable reach full load within five minutes, the plant will provide backup power to help balance the grid.
The proposed plant consists of five reciprocating gas engines and ancillary equipment – the compact design will make it fit on land just over half the size of a football pitch, the future operator said. The new facility (no more than 14 metres in height) will be built on a site with old fuel oil tanks which are due to be demolished.
Once built the site would be remotely operated, only need occasional maintenance visits. The peaker plant would typically run for only a few hours on weekdays to meet periods of high demand or to provide back-up power when it’s needed.
Eying FID in early 2017
Dave Theakstone, Centrica’s Generation Manager at Peterborough welcomed Peterborough City Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the 50 MW peaking plant and access road on land at our existing power station site.
“We will now work to finalise the detailed plans with our contract partners and hope to be in a position to make a final investment decision on the project in early 2017,” he said.
Profit margin for CCGTs remains low
When posting its annual report in late July, Centrica said it is considering the closure of its aging 360 MW gas-fired Petersbourgh Power Station, built in 1993, and a review future of its Roosecote gas power plant (229 MW). The additional closures follow Centrica's recent decision to shut down the 325 MW King's Lynn plant.
Centrica said earlier that its share of nuclear output has increased 8% year-on-year in the first quarter to 4.2 TWh, while low spark spreads – the profit margin for gas-fired power producers – " are continuing to make market conditions challenging for our CCGT fleet.”