Plans for a new gas plant on the site of a demolished coal power station in Derbyshire took a step forward this week when energy generator npower applied to build a new gas pipeline to connect it to the grid.

RWE npower submitted proposals to the Planning Inspectorate for the pipe to hook up the new Willington Power Station (artist’s impression, pictured) to the National Transmission System in Staffordshire.

The firm already has planning consent from DECC for the proposed 2000MW combined cycle gas turbine plant.

The Planning Inspectorate now has up to a year to look over the application and advise the Energy Secretary whether to give the pipeline consent.

Willington plants A and B closed in 1995 and 1999 respectively.