Why does Flue Gas Desulphurisation Need to be fitted at Rugeley?

The fuel burnt at all coal fired power station contains sulphur in varying quantities that, when burnt in the two boilers at the power station, reacts with oxygen in the air to produce sulphur dioxide, which is a major contributor to the production of acid rain.

As part of the Government’s drive to reduce the UK's contribution to acid rain, coal and oil-fired power stations in the UK will be subject to much tougher sulphur dioxide emission targets from 2008 onwards. FGD is one of the techniques being used to control these emissions.

Rugeley is currently carrying out major investments to reduce NOx and dust emissions from the plant.

Installation of FGD will allow continued clean coal fired generation at Rugeley. This will increase fuel diversity in the UK.

How Does FGD Work?

FGD is a simple chemistry process that uses limestone slurry (powdered limestone mixed with water) sprayed into a tank called an absorber through which the boiler exhaust gasses pass. The limestone slurry reacts with the sulphur dioxide in the exhaust gas to produce first calcium sulphite and then, with air blown through it, forms calcium sulphate, which is better known as gypsum.

The gypsum is removed as slurry from the absorber, piped to a dewatering plant for drying and stored prior to being sold for use in plasterboard. The water removed from the gypsum is returned to the absorber for re-use. The small amount of wastewater is treated to meet standards set by the Environment Agency before being released from the site into the River Trent.

Will the Noise from the Power Station Increase?

Once the FGD plant is operational we expect no discernible increase in noise levels. However, during construction there could be occasions when noise from the site exceeds the normal contribution by the plant. Our FGD project team will work with the contractors, power station staff and local authorities to ensure that the impact of this noise is minimised as far as possible.

Will Traffic Increase?

During construction of the FGD plant there will be an increase in heavy traffic on the roads around Rugeley. However this will be restricted to certain routes agreed in advance with Staffordshire County Council and the Highways Agency.

After construction, we expect the existing rail connection to be used to deliver coal and limestone and for the removal of gypsum. Road facilities will also be provided for both limestone reception and to deliver gypsum to customers without rail connections.

Will Dust Levels Increase?

We will adopt stringent measures to mitigate the creation of dust during construction. These will include:

Planning Consent and Consultation

To build an FGD plant, Rugeley Power Limited had to seek the permission of the Department of Trade and Industry. During the consent process there was formal consultation with Lichfield and Cannock Chase District Councils, Staffordshire County Council and statutory bodies such as English Nature and the Environment Agency. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been undertaken to assess the impact, if any, of the FGD plant on the environment during both construction and operation. The results of the EIA formed part of the application for consent. Rugeley was granted Section 36 consent to build FGD in early 2004.

Timescales

Construction will start in 2006 and we expect the plant will be in operation by the end of 2008.

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