Coal Fired Power Stations
Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Written answers and statements, 3 November 2009
Brian Binley (Northampton South, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of coal were held in stock at each coal-fired power station in (a) January and (b) June 2009; and how many days supply of coal each figure represents.
David Kidney (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Energy and Climate Change; Stafford, Labour)
I have been asked to reply.
Data on coal stocks held at individual power stations are commercially sensitive. However we have figures for total stocks held at generators. At the end of January 2009, 13.3 million tonnes of coal were held at UK electricity generators and at the end of June 2009 18.3 million tonnes were held.
These stocks represent theoretical supplies for 63 days and 86 days respectively. The number of running days is for illustrative purposes only and assumes the power station would be operating continuously throughout the period. In reality plants are unlikely to operate non-stop for this length of time.