21st April 2010 – The London Thames Gateway Corporation today waved through a planning application by Blue NG which will pave the way for large quantities of biofuels being burned at a planned power station in Beckton, one of the most polluted areas of London. Blue NG had a previous application approved in 2008 and sought an amendment to allow them to build the power station more easily, at the same time as new evidence of the serious impacts of biofuels on climate change and air pollution emerged.

Blue NG got their new application approved on the same day as the European Commission released a study which confirms that the climate impact of burning rapeseed oil is far worse than that of burning and equivalent quantity of fossil fuels (1). Blue NG have stated that they intend to burn around 20,000 tonnes of UK rapeseed oil a year at Beckton, however they have yet to sign any legally binding documents that would prevent them from using palm oil. Because palm oil is considerably cheaper than other biofuels, it is very likely that Blue NG will switch to burning palm, as has happened in most of Germany’s 1200 biofuel power stations. , so they could well end up burning palm oil which is far cheaper. Palm oil is the main cause of deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia, according to the UN and palm oil expansion results in the displacement and evictions of indigenous peoples, other forest-dependent communities and small farmers and to land conflicts.

Maryla Hart from Food Not Fuel says: “Blue NG’s power station will, indirectly if not directly, lead to more rainforest destruction and land-grabbing. Even if Blue NG were to cut their profits and use fuel from UK rapeseed oil, this new demand would cause the UK to import more palm oil for our food products to replace the rapeseed oil lost to biofuels.”

Last month, the Commons Environmental Audit Committee found that air pollution kills up to 50,000 people a year in the UK. Biofuel burning emits similar air pollutants as burning diesel and the health risks to people in Beckton are likely to be particularly serious because the area has much higher death rates from asthma and other lung diseases than other parts of London and England (2)

Last September, Ealing Council refused a very similar biofuel power station application by the same company because of air quality and health impacts. Blue NG have appealed and the decision is being awaited from the Secretary of State.

Blue NG claim to be a ‘green energy’ company, yet in the Southall planning appeal they worked hard to suppress any debate about the environmental, climate and social impacts of their plans. One study after another has shown up their claims as false. Even the government’s Department for Transport has expressed concerns about unchecked biofuel growth.

Notes:

(1) See www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE63J1FP.htm .

(2) See www.newham.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/4721DB6E-CD4D-476C-BEA3-68D64C3CFDD3/0/NewhamDES1.doc