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Damhead Creek Power Station / Damhead Creek Environmental Management

Emissions and Waste Management

Damhead Creek Power Station is fitted with Low NO_x burners, to reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen. The station emits minimal SO₂, as natural gas contains very low concentrations of sulphur. No dust or ash is produced as a by-product of combustion and CO₂ emissionslower compared with conventionally fired thermal power stations.

Biodiversity

Although Damhead Creek is built on reclaimed industrial land, its 80-acre site is adjacent to wildlife-rich, natural wetlands.

The area is of significant conservation value for its habitats and birdlife. The adjacent Medway Estuary has international designation as a Ramsar site and Special Protection Area in respect of its bird life - the station itself is close to the RSPB reserve at Cliffe.

To mitigate for the power station’s presence, 80 acres of land have been set aside at Damhead Creek to promote biodiversity. The station has developed a five-year biodiversity Action Plan to manage the area, by maintaining and developing habitats, such as wetlands, reedbeds, grasslands, native woodland, saltmarsh and scrub.

Performance - 2008

• Further improvements were made to the station’s air cooled condenser. A heat deflecting wall was installed that will improve the performance of the plant and save energy
• The station has been investigating the feasibility of drawing water from a borehole on site, to save on use of townswater
• Work began on introducing a rainwater recovery scheme to save water from 2009
• A study was carried out into the feasibility of installing a wind turbine to offset internal energy use at the station