Carlton has consent to build a 1,520MW gas-fired power station and has written to ask energy secretary Ed Davey to raise that to 2,060MW. The company wants to use more efficient engines that have come onto the market since the initial consent was granted in 2010.
Carlton intends to enter Trafford Power into the first capacity market auction in December. Under the market design, developers can win 15-year contracts to make sure there is enough dependable capacity on the system from winter 2018/19.
The energy secretary will announce how much capacity will be procured two weeks before December’s auction, on advice from National Grid. That number will determine whether there will be contracts available for new power stations or just to keep existing plant on the system.
The Trafford Power project is sited next to Carrington Power, the only UK gas-fired power station currently under construction. Carrington was also developed by Carlton before being taken over by Irish energy company ESB.
Siemens, Alstom and GE are in the running for the contract to build Trafford Power.