UK gives development consent for power station in Middlesbrough

The UK Government has given consent for the development of a $700m (£537m) combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power station in Middlesbrough.

The power station will have a maximum generating capacity of up to 1,700 MW.

The project will make use of the existing Gas and National Grid connections on the site of the former Teesside Power Station.

Sembcorp Utilities UK submitted the application to the Planning Inspectorate in November 2017, which accepted it on 18 December 2017.

During the examination process, the public, statutory consultees and interested parties were given the opportunity to give evidence to the Examining Authority, following which a recommendation was made to the Secretary of State on 10 January 2019.

Local authority and communities were allowed to participate in the six-month-long project examination process.

Planning Inspectorate chief executive Sarah Richards said: “The Planning Inspectorate has again demonstrated its ability to examine nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) within timescales laid down in the Planning Act 2008.

“This provides developers and investors with the confidence to build and improve the infrastructure this country needs to secure future economic growth.”

The project is expected to create up to 1,000 jobs during the construction phase, with and an additional 150 in the supply chain.

TEES Combined Cycle Power Plant is the third major project that has been approved this year following the development consent orders for Tilbury 2, a new port facility located at the Port of Tilbury, and Millbrook Power, a gas-fired power station proposed in Bedfordshire.