TA5 1UD, NNB Generation Company (HPC) Limited, EPR/JP3122GM/V009: environmental permit consultation

Overview

We have received two applications under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 from NNB Generation Company (HPC) Limited (NNB GenCo) to vary an existing permit for

Construction site at Hinkley Point C power station
Near Bridgwater
Somerset
TA5 1UD

Under reference number EPR/JP3122GM/V009 the Company has applied to us because as construction progresses on site it will need to test and clean various components and systems before electricity generation starts. The Company wants to vary the permit so that it can discharge this new type of liquid waste used for testing and cleaning to the Severn Estuary.

Under reference number EPR/JP3122GM/V010 the Company also wants to increase the level of Ammonia that it is allowed to discharge in the liquid from two of its existing activities, which are already covered by this construction phase permit.

The Company has submitted a number of reports which are relevant to both these applications. We are therefore consulting on both these applications together. These reports and the application details can be viewed from the 'Related' documents section below.

We are seeking your comments on them and in doing so:

We can take account of

• Relevant environmental regulatory requirements and technical standards.
• Information on local population and sensitive sites.
• Comments on whether the right process is being used for the activity, for example whether the technology is the right one.
• Information that we have not been made aware of in the application, or by correcting incorrect information in the application.

We cannot take account of

• Issues beyond those in the relevant environmental regulations.
• Anything outside the remit of the Environmental Permitting Regulations, for example the proposed location of the site, which is done by the local authority via land use planning.
• Whether a site should have a formal designation under Habitats Directive or other conservation legislation.
• Whether the activity should be allowed or not as a matter of principle. For example we will not consider whether nuclear power generation is an appropriate process or whether alternative methods of generating electricity should be used instead.
• Land use issues, or sustainability challenges, even if it is argued that changing the location of the activity would improve its environmental performance.
• The impact of noise and odour from traffic travelling to and from the site.
• The legally defined process we follow to determine a permit.
• Comments about the Government’s Energy Policy.
• The granting of a permit if the operator is able to demonstrate that they can carry out the activity without significant risk to the environment or human health.