STRETFORD and Urmston MP Kate Green has spoken in Parliament on behalf of small businesses involved in the construction of Carrington Power Station, who have yet to be paid for their services. 

Part of the consortium which built the £710 million power station, sub contracted some of the work out to small businesses in the north west. 

But Duro Felguera UK Ltd, the company in charge of the project, has been liquidated by its large Spanish parent company meaning that the Manchester based small businesses haven’t been paid for their work on the project.

One company, owed tens of thousands by Duro, has been delayed payments since Christmas and faces serious financial difficulty without the payment. 

Carrington Power Station officially recently at a ceremony attended by Energy Minister, Jesse Norman. 

On April 20 ms Green spoke in Parliament to ask the Leader of the House of Commons for an urgent statement on the support that can be made available to the affected businesses, before Parliament dissolves for the General Election.  

Ms Green said, “It’s disgraceful that our local businesses should lose out on a major infrastructure project that’s contributing to our national energy security. 

“Failure to pay by large clients kills small businesses. That’s why I’ll be standing up for our small businesses to make sure they get paid for the work they do.”

She called for an urgent statement to be made on the support that can be made available to those businesses.

Leader of the House, David Lidington, replied: "It is clearly important that businesses, particularly small businesses, are paid in full and on time within the terms of their respective contracts.

"As the honourable lady knows, if a liquidation is involved, a particular legal regime kicks in. If she would like to let me have some details, I will send them on directly to the Minister with responsibility for energy."

A spokesman for power giant ESB, which opened its power station in March, said: "Over the past few weeks there have been indications that part of the consortium which built Carrington Power Station was not meeting its obligations to suppliers and contractors who worked on the construction of the plant. It is now understood that Duro Felguera UK Ltd. has gone into voluntary liquidation and a creditors meeting took place in Manchester on April 12.

"Carrington Power Station was constructed, and is operated by, Carrington Power Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of ESB. The power station went into commercial operation in September 2016 and has been operating successfully in the market since then.

"The station was constructed under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract by a consortium formed by Alstom Power (now General Electric) (Switzerland) and Duro Felguera (Spain).

"It is understood that the GEDF consortium engaged sub-contractors to complete some of the works related to the construction and that some of these contractors have been affected by the liquidation of Duro Felguera UK Ltd.

"While this a matter of regret to ESB, ESB would like to make clear that Carrington Power Limited had no commercial relationship with any of these subcontractors and has fully honoured all of its contractual commitments and obligations to the GEDF Consortium.

"Carrington Power Limited has been in contact with the GEDF consortium and expressed its concerns in relation to the current circumstances. We understand the matter is now in the hands of the appointed liquidator Duff and Phelps."