Customers to foot £35 million bill for Kilroot clean up A decision by the energy
regulator in favour of AES, the American owners of Kilroot power station,
means that customers will have to foot the £35 million bill for the
installation of Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) equipment. The new equipment
enables the coal burning power station to meet its EU-imposed obligations
to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions. Under the terms of a power generation
contract negotiated in 1992 at the time of NIE’s privatisation, the company
can pass on to customers any costs which arise from changes in the law.
For customers, who already face the highest electricity prices in Britain
or Ireland, it will add up to three per cent onto electricity bills for
three years. This will be on top of the ten per cent rise already
announced by NIE.
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