Drax鈥檚 plans to build Europe鈥檚 largest gas power station have been put on hold after lawyers mounted a High Court challenge against the government鈥檚 support of the project.
Environmental lawyers representing ClientEarth announced it is to challenge Energy Secretary Andrea Leadsom鈥檚 decision to approve Drax鈥檚 gas plans.
Drax, which has a large power station between Goole and Selby, wants to replace its existing coal-fired units with four new gas turbines.
The application went to the government鈥檚 own Planning Inspectorate, which recommended refusal.
However, Ms Leadsom went against recommendations from the Inspectorate, and gave approval to Drax鈥檚 plans.
Now, ClientEarth has appealed Ms Leadsom鈥檚 ruling and ordered a judicial review.
Sam Hunter Jones, climate lawyer at ClientEarth, said: 鈥淚n its planning application, Drax failed to explain how this emissions-intensive gas project squares with the 海角视频鈥檚 carbon targets and its strategy for clean growth.
鈥淎nd the Government鈥檚 own energy forecasts show that the 海角视频 does not need a major roll out of new large-scale gas generation capacity.
鈥淭he Secretary of State has ignored the recommendations of her own planning authority, and her decision is at odds with the government鈥檚 own climate change plans to decarbonise in a cost-effective manner.鈥
Back in 2017, Drax outlined plans to create up to 3.6GW of new gas generation capacity, and up to 200MW of battery storage.
It comes as Drax looks to reshape its business amid the 海角视频鈥檚 2050 vision to become net-zero for carbon emissions.
In the Humber region, the challenge is to become net-zero by 2040.
Drax last year launched a pilot carbon capture and storage project at its power station.
The vision is to create an underground pipeline running from Drax鈥檚 plant in North Yorkshire, through the Humber region and into the North Sea.
Carbon-emitting businesses along the Humber Estuary would be able to offload carbon into the pipeline, for it to be stored in pockets underneath the sea.
Drax also last year outlined bold plans to become carbon-negative by 2030.
Its future gas plans have however suffered a blow after the announcement from ClientEarth.
A spokesman at Drax said: 鈥淒rax鈥檚 ambition is to become聽carbon negative by 2030聽using ground-breaking bioenergy with carbon capture and storage technology (BECCS) to remove millions of tonnes of CO2聽from the atmosphere each year, making a significant contribution to the 海角视频鈥檚 climate targets.
鈥淒rax鈥檚 carbon negative ambition could be achieved with聽new, high efficiency gas power capacity聽as part of our portfolio of flexible generating assets.聽
鈥淒rax Power Station plays a vital role both as a major employer in the north and in producing the reliable, flexible renewable power millions of homes and businesses rely on.
鈥淲e are exploring a聽range of options聽using different, flexible technologies, including this聽high efficiency gas project.
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鈥淚t could support the continued decarbonisation of the energy system, helping the 海角视频 on its path to聽net-zero聽by 2050, in line with the government鈥檚 policies.鈥澛
ClimateEarth has previously argued the government鈥檚 own climate body, the Committee on Climate Change, has warned there should be no more gas on the 海角视频 grid by the mid-2030s without carbon capture and storage.
It added the government鈥檚 latest forecasts estimated the 海角视频 will need just 6GW of new gas generation to 2035 and has already approved 15GW worth of large-scale gas plants.
Approving Drax鈥檚 project would take total planned gas capacity to 18GW 鈥 three times the Government鈥檚 estimates, ClimateEarth argued.
