Government decision imminent on Wyre Power
Final approval is expected in the coming weeks from the Department for Energy & Climate Change for a new £600m power station on Hillhouse International Business Park in Thornton Cleveleys.
The power station and gas pipeline to the national transmission system have been approved by Wyre Council already.
Pending DECC approval, operator Wyre Power will secure project finance and appoint an engineering, procurement and construction contractor to undertake the project.
The development will consist of two elements: an 850MW combined cycle gas turbine power station and a 25 MW open cycle gas turbine power station.
Wyre Power, part of the Welsh Power group, plans to start construction of the 850MW CCGT in 2011. Construction is expected to last 37 months, and the station is scheduled to be operational in 2014 following a four-month commissioning and testing period.
Electricity produced by Wyre Power will be fed into National Grid's Stanah substation via a short underground cable.