Planning permission for new Peterborough power plant

The new plant in Fengate would be capable of producing approximately 50MW, enough to meet the needs of around 50,000 homes, and would operate mainly during periods of high demand.

The proposed plant would consist of up to five gas engines that would be housed within an engine hall. Together with ancillary equipment, the plant would fit on land just over half the size of a football pitch within the footprint of the existing site.

It would be built in the location of the old fuel oil tanks, which are to be removed as part of the ongoing demolition project.

Dave Theakstone, Centrica’s Generation Manager at Peterborough, said: “We’re very pleased to have been granted planning permission by Peterborough City Council for a new back-up power facility 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.”

A spokesman said: “Unlike the existing plant, which uses gas turbines, we’re proposing to use technology similar to a car engine to generate power. “Reciprocating engines burn fuel, in this case gas, with air to produce hot gases that are used to drive a piston up and down. In a car the power generated by the piston is used to drive the wheels. However in a power plant like this, the motion of the pistons will be used to drive the generator, which produces the electricity.”

For more information about the plans visit www.centrica.com/peterborough