A BID by Aberthaw Power Station to receive money from electricity bills in order to stay open longer "beggars belief", Friends of the Earth Cymru have said.

Earlier this year it was revealed that the UK Government is due to appear in court over claims that Aberthaw has been emitting illegal levels of pollution for more than seven years.

Now, as power station owners RWE begin the process of seeking a payments from the capacity market auction - a procedure meaning that bill payers could be paying to keep Aberthaw open through 2019/20 in the event of a high demand for energy - Friends of the Earth Cymru have said that perhaps Aberthaw should announce its "imminent closure".

Aberthaw, which is five miles west of Barry and employs close to 600 full time and contract workers, has been under threat of closure previously due to high emissions of Nitrogen oxides - something the European Commission have said the plant is still emitting more than double the legal amount of.

Nitrogen oxides can cause respiratory problems and may decrease lung function in people exposed to them. They are also believed to cause acid rain, damage to plants and animal life and harm to buildings.

Friends of the Earth director Gareth Clubb said: "It beggars belief that Aberthaw, which has been hauled before the European Court of Justice because it is so polluting, is going cap in hand to get a subsidy from bill-payers to stay open in four years’ time.

“With a new leadership team in place, RWE needs to look again at Aberthaw. It can’t be right that a power station this polluting is attempting to get subsidies to continue operating when it’s putting its own customers’ health at serious risk.

"Perhaps when Aberthaw was built in 1971 this level of pollution was acceptable. But it’s totally unacceptable in the 21st century. Aberthaw should celebrate its 45th birthday by announcing its imminent closure."

Aberthaw Power Station manager Richard Little said that Aberthaw Power station "has always been compliant" with environmental legislation and has spent more than £200m on technology in recent years in order to meet emission limits - something that was acknowledged by the European Commission when they announced impending legal action in March.

Richard Little added: "This latest investment will enable the station to provide essential 24/7 power into the 2020s.”