UK’s Fiddler’s Ferry coal-fired power plant closes

• 4 years ago (2020-04-01)
• David Flin

Coal 282 Europe 1068

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Fiddler’s Ferry coal-fired power station in the UK formally closed at the end of March, nine months after the owner SSE announced the closure. It employed 160 people.

The plant had a capacity of 1989MW, which fell to 1510MW last year on closure of one of the units.

The plant was shut down as part of SSE’s plans to reach net carbon emissions, and comes five years ahead of the UK Government’s target to end coal-fired electricity generation altogether.

In September, Government figures showed that just 0.6 per cent of the UK’s power was generated from coal. Most electricity generated in the UK comes from gas, nuclear, and renewable sources.

The closure of Fiddler’s Ferry leaves just four remaining coal-fired power stations in operation in the UK. This includes Drax power plant, which has been transitioning to biomass generators over the last decade and plans to end coal use next year.

Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director of SSE Thermal, said: “The closure of Fiddler’s Ferry Power Station is a landmark moment for SSE, and the wider energy industry, as we transition to a net-zero emissions future. SSE is now the UK’s leading generator of renewable energy and we have committed to trebling our output by 2030.”