Richard Holman (left) and Dr Julian Lewis MP (right)
New Forest East MP, Dr. Julian Lewis has visited the site of the new Marchwood gas-fired power station to observe the progress of the project, one of the largest construction projects in the south of England, and to meet members of the power station team.
On a tour of the site, Dr Lewis was told that construction of the £350milion power station is on schedule, entering commercial operation in the summer of next year, and 45 people are now employed by Marchwood Power in advance of it officially opening. All but a handful of the new workforce have been recruited from the local area.
Once open, the 842MW gas-fired power station, which will be one of the most modern and cleanest of its kind in Europe, will generate electricity to supply the needs of an area the size of the New Forest, Southampton and Winchester.
After the visit, Dr. Lewis commented: “I welcome the new power station as the region needs investment in modern and efficient energy infrastructure to meet its growing electricity needs. It’s a major investment in the region’s infrastructure and importantly brings more long-term and skilled jobs into the area. I am pleased to have had an opportunity to see the site first hand and have been assured by the steps that Marchwood Power has been taking to minimise the impact of the construction on Marchwood and the surrounding area.”
Richard Holman, General Manager of Marchwood Power Ltd said: “I value Dr Lewis’s interest in our power station and the support he has given it to its development. The construction of the station is moving forward on schedule, and after a period of commissioning and testing, we should be generating power into the National Grid by next summer.”
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