235 workers given 12-month reprieve after deal agreed

Eggborough had been planning to cease generation at the end of next month but this deal will secure work for 235 people, about 85% of the station’s workforce.

The contract covers 775MW of capacity to be delivered by two of Eggborough’s four units.

Last September Eggborough Power threatened that it may stop burning coal in six months’ time with the loss of 240 jobs unless it receives Government support.

In January 2014 the company ended plans to convert to biomass and said then “the most likely outcome now is that Eggborough will no longer be supplying electricity to the grid beyond 2015”.

However in November 2014 Eggborough Power was bought by Czech energy group EPH and its new owners declared the deal “reflects our genuine interest in the UK market”.

But just six months after EPH took control of Eggborough’s board, the company again announced the plant may stop generating power “depending on the outcome of a staff consultation exercise and any further talks with government bodies”.