This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/kent/7035028.stm

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
Protesters remain at power plant Protesters end power plant action
(about 7 hours later)
Five Greenpeace campaigners have spent the night on top of a chimney at a Kent power station to protest against plans for a new coal-fired plant. Five Greenpeace campaigners who spent the night on top of a chimney at a Kent power station have ended their protest.
Eighteen protesters were arrested at Kingsnorth Power Station, at Hoo, on Monday after the group walked through security at the site unchallenged. The four men and one woman scaled the 656ft (200m) smoke stack at Kingsnorth Power Station, Hoo, on Monday, over plans for a new coal-fired plant.
Some of them chained themselves to equipment and abseiled down the smokestack in protest at E.ON's plans. Along with 18 others who were arrested later that day, they had walked through security at the site unchallenged.
The activists want the prime minister to reject proposals for the site. The protesters were arrested on Tuesday after painting the prime minister's name on the stack and climbing down.
E.ON UK has said the plant is still operational, although a heavy police presence was visible around the site on Tuesday morning. The activists want Gordon Brown to reject proposals for the site.
We want to have a planet we can live in and bring up children in Ben Stewart, protesterWe want to have a planet we can live in and bring up children in Ben Stewart, protester
The four men and one woman scaled the 656ft (200m) smoke stack on Monday, and spent the night painting Gordon Brown's name down the side of it. Greenpeace spokesman Robin Oakley said: "What we've done is branded this power station with the prime minister's name to leave him in no doubt that this is a problem he has to address.
The company wants to build a plant on the Kingsnorth site that could supply electricity to 1.5 million homes. "There's an application for the first new coal-fired power station in over 30 years on this site, and if that goes ahead and Gordon Brown fails to stop that, then he can basically kiss goodbye to tackling climate change."
However, activists have warned it will pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and create a precedent for more coal plants in the future. E.ON UK wants to build a plant on the Kingsnorth site that could supply electricity to 1.5 million homes.
Protester Ben Stewart, 33, said: "We are facing a climate change emergency and we have not got the time to sit around. We have to force the issue. Activists have warned it will pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and claim it will create a precedent for more coal plants in the future.
Protester Ben Stewart, 33, said: "We want to have a planet we can live in and bring up children in. This will be difficult if countries like Britain build new coal-fired power stations."
KINGSNORTH POWER STATION Kingsnorth is a 1940-megawatt dual-fired power stationEach of its four main units is currently capable of using both coal and oilE.ON UK plans to build two new cleaner coal units at Kingsnorth by 2012It plans to cut carbon emissions by about two million tonnes a year The units will produce enough electricity to supply about 1.5 million homesKINGSNORTH POWER STATION Kingsnorth is a 1940-megawatt dual-fired power stationEach of its four main units is currently capable of using both coal and oilE.ON UK plans to build two new cleaner coal units at Kingsnorth by 2012It plans to cut carbon emissions by about two million tonnes a year The units will produce enough electricity to supply about 1.5 million homes
"We want to have a planet we can live in and bring up children in. This will be difficult if countries like Britain build new coal-fired power stations." During the protest on Monday, some of the Greenpeace campaigners chained themselves to the station's conveyor belt, while others abseiled down the smokestack in protest at E.ON's plans.
Greenpeace spokesman Robin Oakley said the five protesters planned to climb down from the smokestack later on Tuesday, in the hope that Mr Brown would now "put his effort into supporting renewable energy". They had threatened to stay at the site for a week but a court injunction halted their plans.
On Monday, one woman was arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass after she gave herself up to officers. One woman was arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass after she gave herself up to officers.
Three more people were arrested at the pump house area of the plant on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage, police said.Three more people were arrested at the pump house area of the plant on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage, police said.
And a further 14 were arrested after that in connection with aggravated trespass, a spokeswoman said.And a further 14 were arrested after that in connection with aggravated trespass, a spokeswoman said.
Emily Highmore, from E.ON UK, said a thorough investigation into how the protesters got into the plant was under way.Emily Highmore, from E.ON UK, said a thorough investigation into how the protesters got into the plant was under way.
'Reduced emissions' "Everybody is perfectly entitled to have an opinion about any of our projects, but it's absolutely the wrong thing to do to break into an operational power station.
E.ON UK announced in October 2006 that it planned to build two new coal units at Kingsnorth, saying they would be cleaner and more efficient than the current ones with "state-of-the-art technology" reducing carbon dioxide emissions. "It was thoroughly irresponsible. The protesters put their lives at risk and they put the lives of the people who came in to get them at risk as well," she said.
Greenpeace said more than 13,000 objections had been sent to Medway Council, but "in the next couple of weeks the decision will go to Gordon Brown". The company, which said it was investing heavily in climate change, said the plant remained operational throughout the protest.
E.ON UK spokesman Jonathan Smith said: "The new units will be carbon capture-ready, which means they would have the pipework on them to actually capture the carbon dioxide and to store it underground once that technology is proven."
The company estimates the two new units will reduce carbon emissions by about two million tonnes a year.
But Greenpeace has dismissed this, claiming the proposal uses a technology "little better than the power stations being built 30 years ago".