The Environment Agency has launched a second 4-week consultation on a proposed change to discharge water at Hinkley Point C nuclear power station near Bridgwater.
Artist's impression of Hinkley Point C - aerial view
The Agency said its proposed decision is to grant the permit variation for the water discharge activity and that the limits and conditions attached to the permit will make sure that people and the environment are protected from water discharge under normal operation.
The regulator said it had considered relevant legislation, policy and guidance alongside responses to the initial consultation on the application.
Assessments were also carried out on habitats, sites of special scientific interest and the Water Framework Directive (WFD).
The existing permit regulates the operational water discharge activities from Hinkley Point C. These are discharges of non-radioactive liquid effluents and include:
- returned cooling water from the turbine condensers
- trade process effluents from the various plant systems (including those that maintain water purity and chemistry to keep the best operating conditions and maximise efficiency)
- treated sewage effluent (from staff welfare facilities)
The draft varied permit will also now regulate returned seawater through a fish recovery and return system.
"We have concluded that the proposed permit variation will not cause the current status of the water bodies to deteriorate"
As a result of othe Agency’s assessment on the impact of the fish recovery and return system discharge, it proposes including limits on volume, rate and the total biomass discharged from the fish recovery and return system outlet.
It also proposes removing all conditions (or parts of conditions) relating to the acoustic fish deterrent (AFD).
The Environment Agency commented:
“We have concluded that there would be no adverse effect on the integrity of the relevant European sites (in relation to pollution from regulated discharges to waters) if there is no AFD in place. This includes those sites functionally linked to the Severn Estuary.
“We have also concluded that the proposed permit variation will not cause the current status of the water bodies to deteriorate, nor prevent them from achieving their objectives.”
The draft varied permit includes the requirement to use an additional operating technique and an improvement condition. It also includes two pre-operational conditions which need Environment Agency approval before the proposed power station can be commissioned or begin to operate.
This is to make sure that NNB Generation Company (Hinkley Point C) Limited builds and operates the proposed power station according to the commitments made in its permit application.
The Environment Agency intends to publish its final decision in summer 2023.
Deadline to submit comments is 25 May 2023 – click here to access the consultation online.
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