RWE has been allowed to continue construction work on a new power plant in the Netherlands while environmental permits for the project are sought.
The German utility has been given nine months to obtain new permits for the coal-fired Eemshaven plant, which is due to start operating in 2013.
The Council of State in the Netherlands ruled in August that the permits granted to RWE for the 1560 MW power plant should not have been issued.
However, local authorities in the Dutch province of Groningen have said that work can continue on the power plant, but not on other buildings such as offices.
The plant will operate on a mixture coal and biomass and is being built near the Wadden Sea area and Wadden islands, a coastal wetlands area that is listed by UNESCO. Environmental groups such as Greenpeace are opposed to the construction of the plant.
