Connah's Quay
Connah's Quay is unique amongst E.ON UK's sites in that gas from Liverpool Bay is delivered straight to the site through a 27km pipeline from the Point of Ayr gas terminal.
Connah's Quay has a gas treatment plant that can process any gas not used in the power station so that it can be exported into the National Transmission System. Domestic gas needs a lower sulphur and nitrogen content and any remaining water needs to be removed.
Celebrating 10 Years
Connah's Quay celebrated it's 10th anniversary in March 2006. Site Manager at the time Ray Smith said "It is the people of Connah's Quay, both past and present, who have determined our accomplishments over the last 10 years.
No other station in the whole E.ON UK fleet has generated more MW than us in the last decade and we've achieved the best technical performance in the entire UK portfolio for the past two years."
Connah's Quay is located on the Dee Estuary - A Site of International Importance for Wildfowl and Waders, and designated a Site of Special Scientific Importance (SSSI), a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention and a Special protection area under the EC Conversation of Birds Directive. It is particularly important that we do not impact upon the environment here.
Key steps we have taken to protect the environment are:
- Connah's Quay was constructed off-site and brought here for assembly to minimise disturbance during the building process.
- Use of hybrid cooling towers to reduce visible vapour plume.
- Cooling water is only abstracted and returned to the River Dee at specific times around full tide.
- The creation of three separate conservation areas: a salt marsh, salt water pools, and an 11 hectare nature reserve. In total Connah's Quay manages almost 20 hectares of conservation areas. The number of many special of wintering wildfowl and waders are a significant proportion of the total European wintering population.
We attract a number of internationally significant birds:
- Pintail (Anas acuta)
- Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna)
- Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
- Redshank (Tringa totanus)
- Teal (Anas crecca)
- Curlew (Numenius arquata)
- Black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa)
Additionally, of national significance these birds have also been sighted
- Wintering or migratory dunlin (Calidris alpina)
- Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Connah's Quay leases to the Deeside Naturalist Society who manage a Field Study Centre which overlooks the Dee Estuary. You can contact the Deeside Naturalist Society for more details.
Community
In June 1998 the Education Visitor Centre was opened at Connah's Quay. This centre provides an interactive and fun learning experience which further develops our Education support programme. This is based on the National Curriculum electricity and environment areas and helps give young people the additional benefits of learning about electricity in a real power station rather than a classroom. Teachers helped the station to design the layout and exhibits.
The centre builds on the success of the 'Electricity Roadshow' where the station worked with over 4,000 young people in their schools, showing how electricity works and how to use electricity safely through a multi-media education resource pack.
The education visitor centre is housed in a purpose built education building which also houses the CCGT Simulator. Over 10 years, we have received over 20,000 visitors from local schools.
Other initiatives include corporate membership of local conservation groups, contribution to the landscaping of the Dee College sports stadium, and funding some of the Dee Estuary Strategy Group initiatives.
