New power station will cost £800m

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An energy company has announced plans for a new £800m power station.

RWE npower has identified two potential sites for the gas-fired power station: Staythorpe near Newark, Nottinghamshire and Pembroke, West Wales.

It has already obtained planning consent for the Staythorpe site and is working closely with local authorities in Pembroke.

The company aims to start construction this year and wants to have the power station operating by 2009.

It is vital that the UK's power generation mix reflects the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions RWE npower chief executive Andrew Duff

It has also given the green light to a further £100m investment in new wind farm developments, including Little Cheyne Court in Kent and Knabs Ridge in Yorkshire.

RWE npower chief executive Andrew Duff said: "It is vital that the UK's power generation mix reflects the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

"The time is now right to begin construction of new large-scale, cleaner power stations and our first step will be a state-of-the-art combined cycle gas turbine at one of our two most suitable locations."

He added that cleaner, coal-fired power stations also had a role to play in the future.

"Around a third of the UK's coal-fired power stations are set to close over the next five to 10 years.

"To maintain secure electricity supplies, we will need to replace some of these with more efficient coal plants and look at ways of tackling carbon dioxide emissions."