New gas fired plant at Peterborough Power Station proposed

Rated at 50MW, the proposed plant would use gas-fired engines to produce enough power to meet the needs of 50,000 homes at periods of high demand.

Dave Theakstone, Centrica’s Generation Manager at Peterborough, said: “As more and more renewable projects are built, there’s an increasing need for small, flexible plants to be able to step in at times when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining.

“What we’re proposing to build is a highly responsive plant that will work alongside the existing plant to help keep the lights on for local homes and businesses. Once complete this site would be able to respond to peaks in demand and be up-and-running in just five minutes.”

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.

A planning application will be submitted to Peterborough City Council in the coming weeks. The council will then consult with local businesses and any local residents as part of the planning process. In the meantime people can find out more about the plans by visiting www.centrica.com/peterborough