Climate demo targets power station

Oct 17 2009

Hundreds of climate change protesters are expected to converge on one of Britain's biggest coal-fired power stations for a demonstration.

Activists from three pressure groups - the Camp for Climate Action, Plane Stupid and Climate Rush - will converge on Ratcliffe power station near Nottingham, having threatened to break into the site and close it down.

The 2,000MW coal-fired power station, which is owned by the energy company E.ON, is said to be one of the largest producers of carbon dioxide in Britain.

The activists, under the banner the Great Climate Swoop, chose to target Ratcliffe in an online vote following the Climate Camp held in London in August.

Following protests at the company's Kingsnorth station in Kent, E.ON was granted a High Court injunction giving police the power to arrest anyone trying to enter the site.

An E.ON spokesman said the company respected people's right to peaceful protest.

He added: "We are concerned that the Great Climate Swoop has clearly stated that it intends to be neither of those things.

"Ratcliffe power station plays a key role in ensuring we keep the lights on for millions of homes across the region and has undergone major investments that make Ratcliffe one of the cleanest power stations of its kind.

"We are already closing three of our other fossil-fired power stations and are pushing forward with lower carbon options that include developing new wind farms, gas plants, cleaner coal and nuclear, that will allow us to tackle the threat of climate change while also ensuring security and affordability of energy supplies."

The protesters are receiving text messages at 10am telling them meeting points ahead of the demonstration, which is expected to start at 1pm.