Published: Wednesday, 17th March, 2010 3:57pm

Controversial coal plan underway

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Gateway to Hunterston ... but can coal power station get green light with carbon technolgy fears?

Ayrshire Power have confirmed their first stage of submitting a coal station planning application.

The Peel Group company - who are proposing a multi-fuel power station with carbon capture technology at Hunterston - lodged their application with the Scottish Government's Energy Consents Unit, entering into the 'gate-checking' process for applications covering onshore power stations.

The gate-checking stage allows the Scottish Government, in consultation with such authorities as North Ayrshire Council, to assess the application documents to ensure that they contain all the necessary information for a full assessment of the proposals to be made.

If passing the gate-checking process, the company said the plans are expected to be "formally accepted" by the Scottish Government, allowing a period of public consultation to begin.

Ayrshire Power stated this week that the £3 billion project "has been designed based on the implementation of CCS technology in line with the latest UK and Scottish Government guidance" - but critics have pointed out that the technology does not yet exist to significantly reduce emissions.

If approved, the facility could meet the needs of about 3 million homes, while creating "a significant number of jobs in North Ayrshire".