UK-based Scottish and Southern Energy has set itself a new target, to reduce by 50% the amount of CO2 per kilowatt hour of electricity produced at power stations in which it has an ownership or contractual interest.
It is aiming to achieve the 50% reduction, to around 300g per kWh, by 2019-20. Based on SSE’s existing portfolio of assets and contracts and on typical electricity output, the target, if achieved, would mean there would be around 12 million tonnes fewer CO2 emissions in 2019-20 compared with 2005-06.
The new target replaces SSE’s previous target, which was to secure by 2015-16 a 20% reduction in the amount of CO2 per kilowatt hour of electricity produced. It follows SSE’s acquisition of Airtricity, which was completed in February 2008.
SSE’s new target includes power it acquires under asset-specific contracts with other electricity generators, but excludes power acquired via contracts which do not specify the asset at which the power is to be produced.
Similarly, the target includes certified emissions reductions (CERs) from specific generation projects under the Clean Development Mechanism established under Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol, but would exclude those which are not related to a specific generation project.