Cracking the code

A major project is under way to boost the responsiveness of new 'cleaner' coal-fired power stations in a bid to bring them into line with National Grid standards,

has discovered.

While dozens of countries are building less polluting and more efficient supercritical coal-fired plants, the UK has none — and any that are built would currently fail to meet the National Grid Code, which governs the ability to meet excess demand.

The problem could hamper plans to replace existing coal-fired units with ones using supercritical technology, including that proposed by

UK at Kingsnorth in Kent.

Now, E.ON is working to address the issue with engineers at the University of Birmingham and Scottish Power Generation through a collaborative effort that aims to bring supercritical and ultra-supercritical plants into line with the National Grid's requirements.

Supercritical plants run more efficiently by using extremely hot steam. While they are being built at a rate of one a month in China, the UK National Grid Code makes it difficult for power plants to adopt supercritical boilers, said Andrew Barrow, a spokesman for E.ON.