Apr 29 - GSD Defends Diesel Power Station Decision
Responding to recent comments made by the Government on the former GSD administration’s decision o build a diesel fuelled power station, the Opposition has insisted that ‘It is absurd hyperbole to suggest that the GSD Government would use out of date technology to build a power station that was to cost the taxpayer £120 million.’
They go on to say,’ the technology that was going to be used was the most modern and efficient in diesel-fuelled power stations. The design of the power station included within it a “nox reducing agents” system, which would have enormously reduced emissions and it demonstrates a total lack of understanding and research by Mr Picardo for him to say that smoke would have belched out of chimneys like something out of a Dickensian nightmare.
‘The entire system had been assessed by the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) committee, which deals with such matters pursuant to European legislation. One of the objectives of the IPPC is to prevent Pollution by (amongst other things) ensuring the implementation of best available technologies. Indeed, because the plant was to be located near two conservation areas it had to be extra compliant. It is typical of Mr. Picardo’s obsession in denigrating the GSD’s record in office that he should attempt to mislead the people of Gibraltar by suggesting otherwise. His suggestion that the design and nature of the plant was not a modern solution is also to rubbish the many hours of hard work and effort put in by the Government's advisers and officers at the time.
‘There were two reasons why the GSD Government opted for a diesel fuelled power station instead of gas. The first was because, on the advice of experts, both the Government and Gibelec took the view that diesel was the only sustainable fuel that could be used at the time. It would have been nearly impossible to pipe gas all the way to Lathbury Barracks.
‘Secondly, this would have meant that liquid gas would have had to be used in order to fuel the power station, which in turn, created the need to build storage facilities and it raised significant health and safety risks which the GSD Government was not willing to take. We would certainly not have been happy storing liquid gas in such a densely populated area as the North Mole.
‘It remains to be seen, for how long the new power station, which the Government intends to build, will be fuelled by gas rather than diesel, because the Government will still face the same difficulties with supply that led the previous administration to discard it as an option.
‘Further, the total cost of the GSD power station was £120 million of which £20 million was for the associated infrastructure as opposed to the plant itself. That price also included a new office block for Gibelec. We wait to hear what price of the GSLP-Liberal power station is likely to be and what extra infrastructure cost will be associated with it (e.g. the land reclamation, building of the storage tanks for liquid gas and a gas pipeline from the detached mole).
‘The power station commissioned by the GSD in 2007, in accordance with the manifesto commitment, suffered protracted legal and other delays, which pushed back commencement of works to 2011. However, there is no doubt that had Mr. Picardo not taken the decision to abandon our plans in favour of a duel fired power station at North Mole, the new power station would have been either complete or nearing completion. He must therefore take personal responsibility for any further delays.
‘Finally, we really do think Mr. Picardo should stop trying to portray himself as the guardian of patriotism by suggesting that any criticism of administration is an attempt to “do Gibraltar down”. It really is the politics of last resort and he should consider his own tactless statements more carefully as they have a habit of causing this community great problems.’
