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UTILITY WEEK | 22ND - 28TH SEPTEMBER 2017 | 5 Visitors were shown a glimpse into the future this week at South West Water's Mayflower Water Treatment Works. Work started at the site of the £60 million treatment works in April 2016 and it is expected to be operational in autumn 2018. Mayflower will serve Plymouth and the surrounding area. ELECTRICITY Drax to consult on coal-to-gas conversions and battery storage Drax has taken a major step towards converting the remaining coal-fired power units at its plant in Yorkshire. The company said it had notified the Planning Inspectorate that it will consult on options to repurpose two coal units to gas and build battery storage at the power station. Drax first revealed that it was considering its options for repowering three coal-fired units in June, with one unit already having been trialled. If they go ahead, these latest conversions could create up to 3.6GW of new gas generation capacity and 200MW of battery storage. Any conversion plans are subject to a positive investment decision and would need to be underpinned by a 15-year capacity market contract. Three units have already been upgraded at the plant, accounting for 70 per cent of the electricity Drax produces. 3MW Capacity of one of the country's largest batteries, installed by Centrica for Gateshead council this week. £2.6bn The extra consumers could pay each year unless the government steps up the pace of renewable energy deployment, according to the Green Alliance. "Nuclear is an important part of the mix" Prime minister Theresa May backs nuclear power during PM's questions. A drop in coal consumption and improved energy efficiency helped the UK achieve the fastest rate of decarbonisation among all G20 countries last year. Analysis by PwC has shown that the UK achieved a decarbonisation rate of 7.7 per cent in 2016, almost three times the global average of 2.6 per cent and putting it top of the audit firm's Low Carbon Economy Index (LCEI). The UK also outperformed China, the USA and other EU nations in its average carbon reduction since 2000, according to PwC, falling an average of 3.7 per cent a year since the turn of the century. China, the world's largest emitter, was ranked second on the LCEI in 2016, having reduced carbon intensity by 6.5 per cent. Energy-related emissions in the UK were 6 per cent down in 2016. UK is leading the G20 on decarbonisation Source: PwC Change in carbon Annual average Change in Real GDP growth intensity 2015-16 change in carbon energy related 2015-16 intensity 2000-2016 emissions 2015-16 UK China G7 CARBON INTENSITY 2016 UK 142 tCO2/$m GDP China 431 tCO2/$m GDP G7 237 tCO2/$m GDP 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% -1% -2% -3% -4% -5% -6% -7% -8% -7.7% -6.5% -3.7% -2.7% -6.0% -0.2% 1.8% 6.7% -2.9% -2.2% -1.4% 1.5%