We're continually working to reduce other emissions such as nitrogen oxide (NO_x), sulphur oxide (SO₂) and particulate matter (dust) emissions.

These emissions are produced during combustion, especially combustion at high temperatures, and contribute to a number of environmental impacts, including climate change, local air pollution and acid rain. Emissions of these three types of pollutant have decreased sharply since the early 1990's, following the introduction of stringent environmental standards, and we're always looking for ways of reducing them even further. We implemented a number of measures in 2008 that have helped with the trend of emissions reductions.

In 2009 we reduced SO₂ by 38% and NO_x by 18%. The amount of particulate emissions we released into the atmosphere remained constant.

2008 marked the first year of operation under the EU's Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD). This required all plants to meet emissions limits for sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxide (NO_x) and particulate matter. In 2009, all our LCPD sites performed better than their station emission limit values for SO₂ and NO_x. Our opt out plants at Kingsnorth,Ironbridge and Grain power stations are also required to log their operational hours up to their closure. They recorded the following LCPD generation hours against their 20,000 hour limit.

A pro-rata split of the 20,000 hours available between 2008 and 2015 would equate to 2,500 operational hours annually. Both Kingsnorth and Ironbridge have operated in excess of this, with Kingsnorth operating for over 8,000 hours. Other generators' plants also operated in excess of the LCPD operational hours allowance.

Our power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar is fitted with flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) technology which means that most of the sulphur is captured by injecting limestone slurry into the flue gases and turning it into gypsum. This means that Ratcliffe can use British coal, which typically has a high sulphur content. Our other two coal-fired power stations at Kingsnorth and Ironbridge do not have FGD fitted and therefore burn lower sulphur content coal to keep emissions to a minimum.