A Hunterston ‘C’ nuclear power station features in the new North Ayrshire Council development plan consultation.
Hunterston is currently not recognised as a ‘national development’ within National Planning Framework despite being previously designated.
NAC believe securing national development status is essential to standing this deep-water port location out as one of Scotland’s key infrastructural investment priorities.
The report states: “Over the next two decades, the UK, as a whole, faces major challenges to replace its electricity baseload capacity especially following future closure of several power stations, including Hunterston B in 2023.
Hunterston Port Energy Hub is described as ‘a key strategic opportunity’ that offers significant new economic development opportunities, and providing highly skilled jobs for hundreds of people, many living locally.
The report states: “Peel Port’s coal handing operations at Hunterston Terminal is also a major source of employment. We need to consider the long term future of Hunterston with reduced coal imports in Scotland and with Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station being decommissioned in 2023.”
In relation to the test turbine site, which is currently applying for a two year extension, the report states: “Scottish Enterprise supports Hunterston as a large-scale site for integrated manufacturing, linked with off-shore wind turbines. s the world’s wind industry expands offshore, the Hunterston Test Centre is helping to position Scotland and the UK as a key location for design, development and deployment of offshore wind technologies.”
Renewables generation and manufacture, grid reinforcements, bio-mass power station and maritime construction and decommissioning is also targeted for Hunterston.
The preferred option stated in the report is to support the production of a detailed transport study to identify options for enhancing Hunterston’s port, sea and rail accessibility to support future development opportunities including the A78.
You can read the report here tinyurl.com/hgk4fxf - and submit your views via an online survey: - www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NACMIR