Fiddlers Ferry powers on as sister plant is axed

FIDDLER’S FERRY power station near Widnes is expected to continue burning coal until at least 2020 after SSE decided to shut its sister plant in West Yorkshire.

SSE is to shut its coal-fired power station at Ferrybridge next year with the loss of 172 jobs after deciding it was “not sustainable”. The power station will close at the end of March as SSE continues its
strategy to shift from coal to renewables.

However it will enter the remaining capacity of 1,995MW at Fiddler’s Ferry into the auction for electricity generation capacity at the end of 2015, for delivery in 2019/20.

SSE said: “The retention of some coal-fired capacity contributes to the diversity of SSE’s generation portfolio and maintains Fiddler’s Ferry’s contribution to the security of electricity supplies.”

Its West Yorkshire power station, called Ferrybridge C, has been operational since 1966 and is a prominent landmark near to junction 33 of the M62.

Its age and economic viability was a major factor in the decision to close the plant, as SSE said it has required “increasing levels of  capital expenditure to maintain safe and reliable operation while having
to compete with more efficient modern gas plant”.

Other factors include the decarbonisation of the electricity sector, changes to commodity prices and the constraints imposed by the Industrial Emissions Directive.

SSE expects to re-deploy some of the 172 staff affected, including at Keadby power station, near Scunthorpe, and in managing the closure and decommissioning of the plant.

“We know that the decision to end coal-fired generation at Ferrybridge will have an impact on the local community and it has not been taken lightly,” said Paul Smith, SSE’s managing director for generation. “But while this was a difficult decision to take, it was the right one.

“Financially, the station is currently loss-making and is anticipated to lose another £100m over the next five years. and environmentally coal is a major emitter of CO2, which means it has a time-limited role in the UK’s electricity mix.”

Close