Half of Brits back coal with carbon capture technology

Around 50% of the public would back the construction of coal and gas plants with carbon capture and storage technology. A new survey of 2,009 people by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) also revealed 35% said the government’s first priority for generating power should be enough to meet all domestic and industrial needs. A […]

Drax plans UK gas plant and battery facility

Drax has applied to convert two of its remaining coal-fired units to gas and build a battery storage plant in the UK. It plans to create up to 3.6GW of new gas generation capacity and 200MW of battery storage. The energy company said the upgrade would enhance Drax Power Station’s flexible and responsive capability. However, […]

Rugeley Power Station to close in June

The owner of Rugeley Power Station has confirmed the facility will be closed in June, with the loss of 120 jobs. The announcement comes three months after ENGIE said the 1GW plant is expected to cease operations this summer “due to the deterioration in market conditions” for coal generation. The news follows the government’s plans […]

Could a hybrid system halve coal plant emissions?

Slashing greenhouse gas emissions hasn’t always been an easy task for the coal industry but a new process is believed to potentially change that. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have been working on a plan to find a cleaner way to use coal and reduce emissions. The method proposed by Professor Ronald […]

SSE to keep Fiddler’s Ferry coal plant open an extra year

A coal-fired power plant in Cheshire is to remain open until at least March 31st next year. SSE said the 1,455MW Fiddler’s Ferry plant has secured a one-year contract to provide ancillary services to National Grid starting today. It covers one of the three available units at the site which employs 213 people. The energy […]

Rugeley coal station closure puts 150 jobs at risk

Plans to close Rugeley coal-fired power station in Staffordshire have been announced. The 1GW plant is expected to cease operations this summer “due to the deterioration in market conditions” for coal generation in the UK as a result of increases in carbon costs and continued fall in power prices, operator ENGIE said. The power station […]

EU opens in-depth probe into Drax biomass plans

A new in-depth investigation into the UK’s plans to support the conversion of the Drax coal-fired power plant into biomass has been launched. The European Commission said it will investigate to ensure the public funds used to support the project do not result in overcompensation and do not give the operator an unfair advantage over […]

SSE to close Ferrybridge coal power station

Energy company SSE has confirmed it will close its coal-fired power plant in West Yorkshire by March next year. It said costs at the 48-year old Ferrybridge power station have been rising due to its age and the UK’s environmental policies – and is forecast to lose £100 million in the next five years. The […]

Early closure threat for Longannet coal plant?

The future of the Longannet coal-fired power station could be under threat as it could close earlier than planned. Last year ScottishPower, which operates the plant in Fife, said it would not be entering the plant into the government’s auction to provide back-up capacity in the winter 2018/19 as a result of high grid connection […]

3,2,1 – blast! Watch Didcot A demolition

They are some of the most iconic chimneys in the country – and as of 5am on Sunday 27th July, they’re gone. Three of the six 100-metre-high cooling towers of Didcot A coal power plant were reduced to ground level in less than 10 seconds. Demolition was hailed with a mix of joy and regret – […]