An environmental pressure group tonight called for a full government inquiry after Northern Ireland's largest power station was granted planning permission to install pollution control equipment.
Friends of the Earth claimed that far from being good news it would actually mean increased pollution and a large financial bill for electricity users.
The Planning Appeals Commission today granted full planning permission for the construction of a plant to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions - a cause of acid rain - at the Kilroot power station.
AES, the American owners of the power station decided to install the equipment at a cost of £35 million to enable it to meet new EU emission limits.
Had they failed to do so it would have meant the plant would have had to close. However what seems like good news has a downside. under Kilroot's contract with Northern Ireland Electricity the costs of the new plant can be passed on to consumers.
Local energy regulator Douglas McIldoon objected to the plans and had the scheme referred for examination by the PAC. Kilroot managing director Shane Lynch welcomed the decision of the PAC to back their scheme.
"We appreciate the professionalism and efficiency of the PAC and for making these environmental improvements possible," he said. But calling for an inquiry into the PAC decision Friends of the Earth's Northern Ireland director John Woods said: "On the face of it, installing new plant to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions is a good thing."
But he added: "In the strange world of Northern Ireland electricity production the result will be massive carbon dioxide pollution and a large financial bill for electricity users." Mr Woods said if Kilroot installed the new technology it would be able to continue to operate for another 20 years as one of the UK's five most inefficient power stations.
"It will continue to contribute 20 per cent of our carbon dioxide emissions, ensuring that Northern Ireland will be the part of the UK that does least to tackle climate change." He said it was now up to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment to conduct a full inquiry, and they were empowered to do.
While Kilroot had cleared the technical hurdle of planning permission, wider issues of energy policy and climate change had yet to be properly taken into account, said Mr Woods.