Teesside ‘net zero’ power plant legal row heads to appeal

Original Report: www.bbc.com(full story)

A legal case regarding the Net Zero Teesside power plant is headed to the Court of Appeal. The project is planned for the Teesworks site near Redcar and is being developed by BP and Equinor, with the capacity to generate up to 860 megawatts of low carbon electricity. Environmental consultant Dr. Andrew Boswell previously challenged the project in the High Court, claiming that the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) did not adequately explain how it would help achieve the UK’s net zero goals. His initial case was dismissed, but he has been granted permission to appeal. Concerns have been raised regarding significant adverse emissions from the project, with Dr. Boswell’s legal team arguing that there was a large double-counting error in greenhouse gas assessments, suggesting the power station could emit over 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over its lifetime. In defense, the DESNZ and legal representatives of the project argue that the decision for development consent provides lawful and adequate reasons and that the initiative aims to decarbonize a significant portion of the UK’s industrial cluster emissions. The government has refrained from commenting due to ongoing legal proceedings.