Ferrybridge closure increases risk of winter blackouts

The decision to close Ferrybridge power station in Yorkshire increases the threat of winter blackouts and could have been avoided if more support had been available for low carbon technologies with vast export potential, including carbon capture and storage and more efficient coal plants

Responding to the news that the Yorkshire power station is to close by March 2016, Prospect negotiator Michael Macdonald said:

“This is a consequence of the lack of a coherent plan for decarbonisation. The government’s reliance on significantly higher carbon taxes than the European Union has left Ferrybridge facing a bill of £64m more than, for example, comparable German power generators and forced the premature closure of a viable plant.

“Not only will this see the loss of 200 highly-skilled jobs at the station, and the equivalent in a local economy already reeling from plans to close Kellingley colliery, the loss of a further 1GW reduces the UK capacity margin to virtually zero.

“The lack of a clear roadmap for decarbonisation means the UK is missing out on the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions by 40% through technology that has vast export potential.

“It also means large industrial consumers will have to shut down operations or switch to inefficient on-site diesel generation at times of peak demand.

“If we are to continue to include gas and coal in the generation mix until 2030, we need a coherent plan for transition to a low carbon future other than further government subsidises for generation methods that cannot guarantee baseload power and which push up the price for consumers.”

Ferrybridge power station was commissioned in 1966 as a 2GW coal-fired power station with four units. Units one and two shut in March 2014 after the owners decided it was not economically viable to fit flue gas desulphurisation technology.

Unit four was damaged when it caught fire in August 2014 and will not reopen. Following yesterday’s decision, the remaining unit three will operate until March 2016 when power production at the station will cease.