Green campaigners were angry today after Drax Power Station applied to increase sulphur dioxide emission levels from 100,000 tons to 270,000 tons a year while its major anti-pollution plant is out of action.

The 170 per cent increase represents higher emissions than when the station was producing electricity without its £680 million flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) filters. The FGD plant, which filters out 90 per cent of sulphur dioxide (the main constituent of acid rain), has been shut down for the last five weeks after cracks were discovered in booster fans.

Green campaigners condemned National Power's request as "outrageous."

Toni Smith, of Breach, said: "The Environment Agency told us last week there was nothing to worry about.

"Now we find out that National Power wants to emit more sulphur dioxide from Drax than they did prior to installing FGD equipment. "I appreciate the company is between a rock and a hard place, but this is madness."

Drax emitted 205,000 tons of sulphur dioxide in 1993/94, the year before it started to install the high-tech FGD filters.Last year, with FGD fitted to all six generating units, it emitted just 33,000 tons.

In January this year, the Environment Agency announced it had drastically reduced Drax's emission levels from 324,000 tons to 100,000 tons a year because of the success of its FGD equipment.

National Power's application to up emission levels to 270,000 tons a year was today described as a "realistic figure" by company spokesman John Wilkinson.

The application was for a temporary increase, and was a precautionary measure to cover the period until the plant was repaired and back in operation.

Meanwhile, a leading councillor says Drax should give away "windfall profits" from the shut-down of its anti-pollution plant to local charities.Drax admits it is saving over £1 million a month by not having to run its expensive FGD equipment.

Selby district councillor John McCartney has written to station manager Dr Derek Cheetham, asking him to hand over their increased profits to good causes.

Coun McCartney said: "In its application to the Environment Agency for the trial burning of American petcoke, National Power said FGD costs were running at £15 million a year.

"With the FGD off, they are saving up to £1.25 million a month. And if the plant is shut down for the 18 months that has been mentioned, the company could pocket up to £22.5 million.

"These are windfall profits being made by National Power at the expense of our environment."

Coun McCartney said if the company was not prepared to hand over the money, the Government should intervene and take it off them.

He said: "I hope local schools and charities will now write to Drax, asking for their rightful share of this windfall.

"In so doing, they can at least derive some benefit from the extra pollution being pumped into our atmosphere."

National Power responded by saying it was very annoying to receive letters of this nature when the company donated substantial amounts of cash every year to good causes and community projects.

Company spokesman John Wilkinson said: "We don't even know yet how long the FGD plant is going to be out of action."But regardless of that, National Power's track record in donations is second to none.

"Drax and Eggborough stations hand over tens of thousands of pounds each year to local good causes through sponsorship and donations.

"We recently gave £3,500 to the Brayton Scouts appeal fund, and £22,000 towards a new footpath and cycle track along Selby Canal."

Mr Wilkinson said they also gave £100,000 a year to a major archaeological dig at Womersley, and had donated £300,000 to the national mining museum, near Wakefield.

Comment Drax fears musr be allayed

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