Facility has potential to provide electricity to 1.4 million homes

Scottish and Southern Energy has been given the go-ahead to build an 870 megawatt gas-fired power station near Port Talbot.

The gas turbine plant will be built on a former chemicals facility site at Baglan Bay Energy Park and has the potential to provide electricity to 1.4 million homes.

Up to 1,000 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase of the project.

Energy minister Charles Hendry also gave SSE consent to retrofit its coal plant in Warrington to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides.

Hendry said: 鈥淭his new power station will bring jobs and industry back to this disused site and will provide a boost to the nation鈥檚 energy security.

鈥淟ong-term there is also a major opportunity for gas power stations like this to be fitted with abatement technology.

鈥淭his station will be built carbon-capture ready, which means that eventually CO2 produced by the plant could be captured and transported for storage offshore.鈥�

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