UK approval for gas-fired power station was lawful, court rules

London: Britain’s approval of a new gas-fired power station backed by BP (BP.L), opens new tab was lawful, London’s High Court ruled on Wednesday, dismissing a legal challenge over the project.

Climate campaigner Andrew Boswell had taken legal action over the decision to build the power station with carbon capture and storage in Teesside, northeast England.

Net Zero Teesside Power, a joint venture between BP and Norway’s Equinor (EQNR.OL), opens new tab, aims to build the plant with a capacity of up to 860 megawatts, fitted with post-combustion carbon capture.

Boswell’s lawyers argued that ministers did not give adequate reasons for their conclusion that the development would “help deliver the government’s net zero commitment”.

Judge Nathalie Lieven dismissed Boswell’s case in a written ruling on Wednesday, saying: “The development was strongly supported in national policy, both planning and energy policy.”

BP welcomed the ruling, with a spokesperson saying in a statement: “This project will help the UK Government to meet its net zero targets by capturing CO2 emissions, while helping to maintain energy security through the supply of dispatchable low-carbon electricity to back up renewables.”