Eon announces delay on Kingsnorth
Iggy | 09.10.2009 00:01 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Energy Crisis
With just a week to go until climate activists converge on EOn's Ratliffe on Soar coal power station, the company has announced that it is delaying plans to build a new coal fired power station at Kingsnorth until at least 2012. Climate Camp promised to return to Kent to stop a new power station being built at Kingsnorth, and this summer launched 'Tipping Point' a social centre in Gillingham to bolster the local campaign. The project has been busy making connections and doing direct action training expecting a long drawn out battle, but on Wednesday 7th of October Eon announced it was dropping any immediate plans to replace the existing power station with another coal-fired power plant.
Reports: Actions Escalate Against Eon | Adopt a contractor | Eon PR company hit | Construction firm hit | Climate Camp at Kingsnorth 2008 | E-on F-off begins | VariousResponses in the Newswire: WDM | KCAM | Climate Camp: 1|2|3 | Analysis: 1|2
SingAlongaSanta
Too Good To Be True?
Eon has claimed the decision was a result in lower electricity demand during the recession with a company statement saying, “We expect to defer an investment decision on the Kingsnorth proposals for up to two to three years”.
On the surface it sounds a bit like the victory campaigners have been after – no new Kingsnorth, the first of a wave of new coal-fired power station. However their announcement isn’t exactly strong and it turns out that Eon are still seeking a billion pounds from the government for the project so clearly they'd still like to go ahead if the sums add up for them. As for the delay, they’d not have been starting construction until after the government coughed up a billion quid to subsidise the project and that wasn’t expected until 2011.
Nether-the-less there is no denying that this represents some sort of a a victory for climate activism. In addition to the 2008 camp at Kingsnorth, resistance by the Camp For Climate Action to the Kingsnorth plan has been widespread, including an action on E.ON’s PR firm Edelman, starting a campaign against construction firms bidding for the Kingsnorth contract, and setting up 'Tipping Point' in nearby Gillingham High Street to bolster local opposition with direct action training. Climate camp activists have also invaded Eon headquarters, dumped coal at E.ON student recruitment events, given out leaflets at FA Cup football matches sponsored by E.ON, and disrupted a climate change conference sponsored by the energy giant itself. To top it all, a lone activist shut down the power station during a 48 hours of action called for by the camp.
So the news is still sinking in and people trying to figure out what it actually means. Regardless, Kingsnorth isn’t the end of the fight against new coal and runaway climate change. While this particular battle may be over, the war against new coal has yet to be won. The campaign was never simply about stopping a new Kingsnorth. There are other companies eager to return to coal power (including one at Hatfield near Doncaster) and the fight continues.
Campaigns: Climate Camp | Eon Watch | Eon F Off | Don't Build Kingsnorth | No New Coal | The Coalhole | Leave It In The Ground | The Tipping Point | Climate Shop
Iggy
Additions
UPDATED - timeline of actions and key events in the campaign against Kingsnorth
14.10.2009 11:48
*October / December 2006*
Eon apply for planning permission to build two new 800MW ‘supercritical’ coal-fired plants at Kingsnorth. Costing £1.7bn, it would be the UK's first coal-fired plant for 24 years and emit 8m tonnes oc CO2 per year. Eon boasted that plant would be ‘capture ready’ in preparation for carbon capture being ‘considered as an option’ at some later date. To this end the proposal set aside some land. While mentioning both combined heat and power plus the prospects for carbon capture and storage in their PR spin, the application didn't actually include either of these technologies. If approved, Eon wanted the power station up and running by 2012.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/6168153.stm *9th April 2007*
Climate activists disrupted operations at Eons Radcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station after climbing onto conveyor belts and dumper trucks. A spokeswoman said: "Putting pressure on individuals to reduce emissions when companies like E.ON are profiting from this polluting industry is obscene and irresponsible. We should not be burning coal in the 21st century."
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2007/04/367623.html Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 1]
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/01/389467.html Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 2]
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/01/389535.html Ratcliffe Power Station Court Case : Nottingham Magistrates [day 3]
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/01/389654.html 'Clean' Coal On Trial [Feature]
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/01/389386.html Ratcliffe Power station Climate Action, The Verdict
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/02/392323.html Convictions For Activists - Climate Criminals Walk Free
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/02/392489.html Ratcliffe Power station Climate Action, The Judgement
http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/03/392833.html *September 2007*
Thousands of postcards opposing Eons proposal and signed by the public were given to the council. Around 9,000 people opposed the scheme. Robin Oakley of Greenpeace said, "We know that there's also been over 3,000 e-mails concerning this issue to the council too".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/6990619.stm *8th October 2007*
Upping the antee somewhat, Greenpeace activists shut down the existing Kingsnorth power station with people climbing on to coal conveyors and up the chimneystack. The resulting legal case, refered to as the 'Kingsnorth Six', resulted in a not guilty verdict that was seen as a green light for direct action against the power station and the burning of coal.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/kingsnorth-coal-plant-protest071008 http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23710409-video-greenpeace-volunteers-shut-down-kingsnorth-power-station.do *January 2008*
In the face of wide spread objections, councillors in Kent voted in favour of Eon plans. Refusal would have automatically led to a public enquiry.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7169105.stm *March 2008*
Eon annouced it was entering Kingsnorth into the government competition to develop commercial-scale CCS technology. E.ON's UK chief executive, Paul Golby, said: "Decarbonising fossil fuels - and especially coal - is one of the key challenges to be overcome if we are to combat climate change, and we aim to be right at the centre of the debate." They also proposed to government that the Kingsnorth planning decision should wait until the governments consultation process was over so they'd know what legal requirements would be expected of them.
John Sauven, Greenpeace executive director said, "E.ON's Kingsnorth climbdown is a major blow to John Hutton and his plans to have a new coal-fired power station under construction this summer."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/apr/01/carbonemissions.biofuels *April 2008*
Thirty people blockaded the entrances to Eon's Nottingham offices, covered in green paint to represent E-on's greenwash. A spokesperson said, “We are here today because despite E-on publicly claiming green credentials, it is trying to build a new generation of coal fired power stations... We are here to tell E-on that they will not suceed and the only real solution to climate change is to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Coal is the dirtiest Fossil Fool and to build new coal power stations in the face of climate change is collective suicide.”
On the same day, People&Planet built a coal power station complete with 12ft cooling towers in Parliament Square and the World Developement Movement held the world's first laugh-in over plans for new coal at Kingsnorth at the Department for Enterprise, Business and Regulatory Reform.
*June 2008*
Kingsnorth Climate Action Medway formed. A petition campaign was started- petition to John Hutton objecting to Kingsnorth. Postcards were delivered to all residents in Hoo inviting them to a meeting in Fort Amherst run by WDM, KCAM and Climate Camp where the short film “Kingsnorth, a local issue going global” was screened.
*16th July 2008*
Greenwash Guerrrilla target Eon at greenwash converence
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2008/07/403763.html *27th July 2008*
The Climate Caravan started from the site of 2007 Camp for Climate Action at Heathrow. By wheel and foot, around 50 people made their way to Kingsnorth arriving at the camp on Sunday 3rd August after a number of actions against climate criminals on route.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2008/07/404845.html *30th July 2008*
KCAM helped to organise the march from Rochester to Kingsnorth with Campaign against Climate Change.
*July/August 2008*
The site for the 2008 Camp for Climate Action was taken just a few fields from Kingsnorth under the banner 'No New Coal'
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/08/405887.html Over 800 people signed up to ‘return to Kingsnorth’ should Eon attempt to build a new coal-fire power station there.
*September 2008*
A group of Big IF pledgees from Yorkshire showed up to Ed Miliband's constituency surgery in Bentley, in Doncaster. They built a giant IF out of cardboard boxes right outside the door. The Energy and Climate Change Secretary came out to talk to them. They told him that this sort of action was a sign of the shape of things to come if he consents to a new generation of coal power stations, starting with Kingsnorth in Kent. They then handed over to the minister some of the 6000 pledges collected at that stage, over a thousand of which romise to take direct action to stop Kingsnorth going ahead.
http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/09/sep/big-week-big-if WDM hosted a ‘question time’ evening with the local prospective parliamentary candidates in Gillingham.
Camp for Climate Action national gathering commits to organising a ‘rolling blockade’ to stop the construction of Kingsnorth.
*October 2008*
The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior came to the Medway to deliver a message to Eon.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-201773 KCAM organised a public meeting on the Hoo Peninsular.
Camp for Climate Action national gathering creates a ‘space’ working group to look at squatting, renting or buying land or a building for a permanent base of operation near Kingsnorth. The rolling blockade idea become the E-on Face Off campaign.
*November 2008*
E.ON withdraws from careers fairs due to persistent protests
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/412804.htm *28/29/30th November 2008*
The E-On 'Face-Off' 48 hours of action begins...
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/414372.html Kingsnorth turned off by lone activist
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/414463.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/dec/11/kingsnorth-green-banksy-saboteur Nottingham's part of 48 hours of nationwide action against E.ON
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/413951.html Christmas is Cancelled for E.on
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/413922.html E.ON F.OFF, Pall Mall (London)
http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/302 London Rising Tide visited the F.A.Headquarters to protest about E-on's sponsorship of the FA Cup.
http://www.londonrisingtide.org.uk/node/429 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zml-U-0L5y0 Warwick university E-ON demo
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/414031.html EON 48 hours of action BRIGHTON
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/414194.html Now it's 96 hours of action - E-ON HQ occupied
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/414082.html National E.On F.Off Actions Round Up
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/413929.html *13th April 2009*
Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists allegedly planning to shut down Eon’s Ratcliffe-on-soar
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/427421.html *23 April 2009*
Edi Miliband announces no new coal without CCS
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn050/pn050.aspx http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/24/energy-coal-carbon-capture-environment *May 2009*
KCAM marked out predicted sea levels around Chatham and got more local media coverage of the campaign against the new Kingsnorth.
*June 2009*
Kingsnorth construction firm invaded by climate activists!
https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/2009/06/431779.html Climate campaigners target coal power construction firm
https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/oxford/2009/06/433415.html *22 June 2009 *
Greenpeace activists attempted to block a 20,000 tonne coal freighter docking at Kingsnorth.
http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/media/press-releases/campaigners-swim-front-20000-tonne-coal-freighter-block-kingsnorth-shipment-20090622 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/22/greenpeace-kingsnorth-coal-protests http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/09/jun/kingsnorth-stand-ends *July 2009*
On the 10th July 2009 almost 1,000 people travelled to Kingsnorth where their formed a human chain around much of the plant. The "Mili-band" protest was a call for climate and energy secretary Ed Miliband to reject the scheme. The 'Big If' pledge campaign was also launched by the Climate Chaos Coalition.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8134210.stm Climate camp activists set up shop near Kingsnorth with the Tipping Point climate ‘infoshop’ in order to bolster the local campaign and start preparing for a drawn out campaign of direct action to stop construction.
http://www.tippingpoint.co.cc *August 2009*
Kingsnorth Climate action handed their petition of over 1,600 signatures to their local MP Bob Marshall Andrews to pass onto Ed Miliband – local radio and papers picked up on the story.
http://musingsfrommedway.blogspot.com/2009/07/kingsnorth-action-petition.html http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2009/august/27/kingsnorth_petition-1.aspx *September 2009*
Announcement by the Camp for Climate Action of intention to target Eon’s Ratcliffe power plant on 17/18 Oct 2009
http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/2092 http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/press/2009/08/31/activists-plot-mass-invasion-of-coal-plant-after-climate-camp-vote Climate Campers Escalate Action Against Eon
http://london.indymedia.org.uk/articles/2300 Activists Invade Construction Company HQ
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/09/437197.html Adopt a contractor announced.
*14th September 2009*
The Climate Chaos Coalition held a joint demo, attended by various NGOs and people from the Medway towns, outside the DECC in Whitehall to urge Ed Miliband to abandon the use of "climate-wrecking dirty coal power."
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/09/438010.html *23rd September 2009*
Reports emerge that Ed Miliband's energy and climate change department is under pressure from the Treasury to scale back its ambitions for new carbon capture and storage (CCS) coal plants. Miliband had said that the government would provide funding for up to four demonstration plants, but energy companies now believe this is likely to be revised down to just two. A spokeswoman for the energy department insisted that it was still a target to fund four projects and that there was no change in its plans.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/23/clean-coal-project-spending *7th October 2009*
With just days until climate activists were set to converge on EOn's Ratliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station, the company unexpectedly announced it expected to delay building a new power station at Kingsnorth.
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/10/439523.html
cc
Homepage:
http://tippingpoint.co.cc
Comments
Hide the following 12 comments
Time line of campaign against Eon and their Kingsnorth plans
09.10.2009 16:56
9th April 2007
Climate activists from around the East Midlands disrupted operations at Eons Radcliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station after climbing onto conveyor belts and dumper trucks. A spokeswoman for the protesters said: "Putting pressure on individuals to reduce emissions when companies like E.ON are profiting from this polluting industry is obscene and irresponsible. We should not be burning coal in the 21st century." The blockade lasted for 3 hours and 11 people were arrested all of which were later released.
8th October 2007
Greenpeace activists shut down Eons Kingsnorth coal-fired power station with people on the coal conveyors and up the chimneystack. The resulting legal case known as the Kingsnorth Six resulted in a not guilty verdict that was seen as a green light for direct action against the power station and the burning of coal.
April 2008
Fossil Fools Blockade E.On Offices in Nottingham
June 2008
Kingsnorth Climate Action Medway formed. A petition campaign was started- petition to John Hutton objecting to Kingsnorth. Postcards were delivered to all residents in Hoo inviting them to a meeting in Fort Amherst run by WDM, KCAM and Climate Camp where the short film “Kingsnorth, a local issue going global” was screened.
16th July 2008
Greenwash Guerrrilla target Eon at greenwash converence
28th July 2008
Angry Penguins & Climate Refugees to Visit Climate Criminals
30th July 2008
KCAM helped to organise the march from Rochester to Kingsnorth with Campaign against Climate Change.
July/August 2008
The site for the 2008 Camp for Climate Action was taken just a few fields from Kingsnorth under the banner 'No New Coal'
September 2008
Members of KCAM represented the local campaign at a conference in Brussels.
WDM hosted a ‘question time’ evening with the local prospective parliamentary candidates in Gillingham.
October 08
The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior came to the Medway and KCAM organised a public meeting on the Hoo Peninsular.
November 2008
E.ON withdraws from careers fairs due to persistent protests
28/29/30th November 2008
The E-On 'Face-Off' begins... Kingsnorth Shut Down
Kingsnorth turned off by lone activist
National E.On F.Off Actions Round Up
Nottingham's part of 48 hours of nationwide action against E.ON
Christmas is Cancelled for E.on
E.ON F.OFF, Pall Mall - 28 Nov
Warwick university E-ON demo
EON 48 hours of action BRIGHTON
Now it's 96 hours of action - E-ON HQ occupied
13th April 2009
Mass Arrest of 114 Climate Activists allegedly planning to shut down Eon’s Ratcliffe-on-soar
23 April 2009
Edi Miliband announces no new coal without CCS
May 2009
KCAM marked out predicted sea levels around Chatham and got more local media coverage of the campaign against the new Kingsnorth.
22 June 2009
Greenpeace activists attempted to block a 20,000 tonne coal freighter docking at Kingsnorth.
July 2009
Climate camp activists set up shop near Kingsnorth with the Tipping Point climate ‘infoshop’ in order to bolster the local campaign and start preparing for a drawn out campaign of direct action to stop construction.
August 2009
Kingsnorth Climate action handed their petition of over 1,600 signatures to their local MP Bob Marshall Andrews to pass onto Ed Miliband – local radio and papers picked up on the story.
September 2009
Announcement Camp for Climate Action of intention to target Eon’s Ratcliffe power plant on 17/18 Oct 2009
Climate Campers Escalate Action Against Eon
Activists Invade Construction Company HQ
Adopt a contractor announced.
14th September 2009
The Climate Chaos Coalition held a joint demo, attended by various NGOs and people from the Medway towns, outside the DECC in Whitehall to urge Ed Miliband to abandon the use of "climate-wrecking dirty coal power."
7th October 2009
With just days until climate activists were set to converge on EOn's Ratliffe-on-Soar coal-fired power station, the company unexpectedly announced it expected to delay building a new power station at Kingsnorth.
ben
More additions
09.10.2009 17:26
Kingsnorth construction firm invaded by climate activists!
29 June 2009
Climate campaigners target coal power construction firm
.
Thanks for the roundup of action
09.10.2009 19:34
@
Maybe E-on is relying on something.
11.10.2009 05:01
Wotsit
That's why it's important to keep up the pressure
11.10.2009 13:35
Kia
Government bend over backwards for Eon
12.10.2009 13:25
Paul Golby, chief executive of E.ON UK, has reported in talks with the government it was agreed that the Kingsnorth project remains elligible for the funding even though it will now be impossible for the project to meet the deadlines. To qualify Eon was meant to be able to build a 400-megawatt carbon capture and storage demonstration plant by 2014.
Golby suggested that the government would now waive this deadline. He said: 'clearly it would be very difficult for Kingsnorth to have met that condition. We are still in a process of consultation on CCS and how the competition will work'
Competitors ScottishPower are furious and the row has exploded while Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, prepares to host an international forum on CCS in London this week.
feel the true power
WICKED!! well done to all involved
13.10.2009 17:12
Well done to all involved, Eon would already have started building the new powerstation (without any requirement for carbon capture and storage) if it hadn't been for the amazing campaign against them.
Thanks for the time table of events above. Please don't forget to add the Big If an the Mili-band to the list.
Again, well done!
Direct Action gets the goods!!!!!
you rock
delayed for how long?
13.10.2009 17:37
Keith
@keith
13.10.2009 19:35
rtfm
Eon sticks to the economics story
13.10.2009 19:48
"It was purely based on economic reasons, it has nothing to do with the people who invaded my power station," he said. Noting that the campaign against his company include "the same people now on top of the Houses of Parliament", he added "I hope it wasn't too warm a night last night."
e-on f-off
Case for coal crumbles as Kingsnorth is shelved
14.10.2009 08:39
Well, our thanks go to E.ON for providing that moment for our coal campaign late last night – just as we were leaving the office, in fact. On my way to the pub, I met a press officer running back towards the front door – "E.ON have shelved Kingsnorth – just got to go and check if it's real, see you in a few…"
He never made it to the pub, because as the evening unfolded it became clear that E.ON were, indeed, after a three year public campaign, kicking their plans for the massively controversial coal plant into the long grass – which would have been the first to be built in Britain since Drax was completed more than 20 years ago.
When we checked with E.ON's European office, they emailed us to say:
"We can confirm that we expect to defer an investment decision on the Kingsnorth proposals for up to two to three years.
"This is based on the global recession, which has pushed back the need for new plant in the UK to around 2016 because of the reduction in demand for electricity."
So what does this mean? Well, there are a couple of key questions. The first one is: does a delay of two to three years mean that the Kingsnorth project is now effectively shelved? According to E.ON:
"We are not going to make a decision on whether to open it for two to three years and it would then take around four years to build."
So potentially we're looking at 2016 before any new plant would be completed, and that's a long way away. Reasons to be sceptical that E.ON will actually build the plant revolve around the rapidly changing dynamics of the energy sector, and an assessment of how difficult they've found it to build a new plant to date.
"The case for new coal is crumbling, with even E.ON now accepting it's not currently economic to build new plants." John Sauven, Director, Greenpeace UKAnd that gets into the second question: why the turnaround? E.ON are sticking to their party line that this is a consequence of the global recession, and that's certainly had its part to play. But it's worth remembering that two years ago today, when our activists closed down Kingsnorth power station, the company was indicating that they wanted to start construction work within weeks.
That was well before any economic downturn, and there's been constant pressure from a wide coalition of environmental and development campaigners, including all of us who've given support to The Big If and Give Coal the Boot campaigns. Obviously that pressure has had its effect.
So this is a massive breakthrough in the campaign against coal. As our executive director John Sauven has been telling the media this morning:
"This development is extremely good news for the climate and in a stroke significantly reduces the chances of an unabated Kingsnorth plant ever being built. The case for new coal is crumbling, with even E.ON now accepting it's not currently economic to build new plants. The huge diverse coalition of people who have campaigned against Kingsnorth because of the threat it posed to the climate should take heart that emissions from new coal are now even less likely in Britain."
The world's leading climate scientist, Professor Jim Hansen of Nasa, also welcomed the decision as a step in the right direction, but warned that real political leadership is needed to urgently reduce the use of coal - the single most harmful fossil fuel:
"The requirement is to phase out coal emissions, if we want to be fair to our children and grandchildren. We desperately need a nation to exert some leadership, adopting policies to move promptly in that direction. I still look on UK as being perhaps the best hope for leading a fundamental change.
"But as yet there seems to be no government, the US included, with the guts to say what is needed and move in that direction. Instead we hear goals for emissions reduction – what a fake – the coal must be left in the ground or we can never achieve the needed goals for atmospheric carbon dioxide."
Tags:
christian
Slow coal
18.10.2009 20:04
There's a lot of things done and made with coal -some of them useful and necessary- apart from the lunacy of burning it to generate power.
So please stop this "leave it in the ground" stuff. You're chucking the baby out with the filthy bathwater. Has nothing been learned from the Coal Caravan?
As for "no new coal", new coal is exactly what we DO need. Not opencast, not deep mined unless absolutely necessary, and certainly not pissed away in power stations. It should be drift mined for the sort of necessary purposes, and others, mentioned above but nothing else. Primarily we need it to makes the means of survival without emitting loads more CO2 and other greenhouse gasses than the planet can stand. That's what I call "slow coal". I thought the Coal Caravan had finally got the message, but it seems not.
How much coal did it take to make all the bikes at Ratcliffe and on critical masses? How much more coal will it take to sensibly recycle the steel when they've had their day and finally have to be replaced, let alone to make more bikes instead of cars? The same questions need to be asked about the pen in your pocket, the pans you cook in, surgical instruments etc. etc. Oh, and the fences you pull down. Wouldn't it be great to recycle them and make summat useful? Needs coal, though.
Come on, get real. Let's stop coal-fired power generation (and other unnecessary uses of it) on the basis of a bit of common sense, eh?
Stroppyoldgit