Aire valley power stations

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Aire valley power station may refer to one or all of three power stations on the River Aire in Yorkshire, England: [1]

Contents

By the 1990s, the three power stations generated 20% of Britain's electricity, [1] and contributed 56% of the Yorkshire and Humber region's greenhouse gas emissions, primarily CO2 (~2010). [2] In 2006 the combined generating capacity was approximately 8 GW (Ferrybridge C, 2 GW; Eggborough, 2 GW, Drax 4 GW). [3]

The power stations were built during the post-Beeching era, [3] close to the Selby Coalfield which supplied them via Gascoigne Wood until the field's closure at the beginning of the 21st century. [4] [5] Thereafter, coal was imported to fuel the power stations, much of it through the Humber ports (primarily Immingham, also Port of Hull) and other east coast ports (Redcar, Tyne, Blyth). Further coal was supplied from open cast coal mines in Ayrshire, Scotland, as well as being imported via Scotland (Hunterston Terminal). [6]

Ferrybridge and Eggborough power stations were scheduled to close in March 2016. [7] Ferrybridge closed according to schedule on 31 March 2016, [8] while Eggborough continued to operate for almost two more years [9] before being decommissioned in February 2018. [10] By 2022, Ferrybridge and Eggborough were fully demolished.

Demolition

In July 2019, one of the eight cooling towers was demolished with explosives as a test at Ferrybridge, [11] then in October 2019, four of the seven remaining cooling towers were demolished. [12] On 1 August 2021, four of the eight cooling towers at Eggborough were demolished. [13] Later on 22 August, the two chimney stacks, boiler house and bunker bay were demolished at Ferrybridge. [14] On 10 October 2021, the final four cooling towers at Eggborough were demolished. [15] On 6 March 2022, the coal bunker building at Eggborough known as 'Bunker Bay' was demolished. [16] On the evening of 17 March 2022, the three remaining cooling towers at Ferrybridge were demolished. [17] On 1 June 2022, a section of the boiler house at Eggborough known as 'DA Bay' was demolished. [18] [19] On 24 July 2022, the chimney and boiler house were demolished at Eggborough. [20]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Aire</span> River in Yorkshire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airedale</span>

Airedale is a geographic area in Yorkshire, England, corresponding to the river valley or dale of the River Aire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drax Power Station</span> Biomass power station in North Yorkshire

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knottingley</span> Town in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England

Knottingley is a town in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England on the River Aire and the old A1 road before it was bypassed as the A1(M). Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it has a population of 13,503, increasing to 13,710 for the City of Wakefield ward at the 2011 Census. It makes up the majority of the Knottingley ward represented on Wakefield Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiddlers Ferry power station</span> Power station in Warrington, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eggborough</span> Village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrybridge power stations</span> Three coal-fired power stations in West Yorkshire, England

The Ferrybridge power stations were a series of three coal-fired power stations on the River Aire near Ferrybridge in West Yorkshire, England, in operation from 1927 to 2016 on a site next to the junction of the M62 and A1(M) motorways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrybridge</span> Human settlement in England

Ferrybridge is a village in West Yorkshire, England. Ferrybridge lies at a historically important crossing of the River Aire which borders the North Yorkshire village of Brotherton. It is linked to other communities by the A1, which follows the route of the Great North Road. The village falls within the Knottingley ward of Wakefield City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Didcot power stations</span> Natural gas power plant in England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drax Group</span> Power generation business

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eggborough power station</span> Former coal-fired power station in North Yorkshire, England

Eggborough power station was a coal-fired power station in North Yorkshire, England, which was capable of co-firing biomass. It was situated on the River Aire, between the towns of Knottingley and Snaith, deriving its name from the nearby village of Eggborough. The station had a generating capacity of 1,960 megawatts, enough electricity to power 2 million homes, equivalent to the area of Leeds and Sheffield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norton railway station (South Yorkshire)</span> Disused railway station in South Yorkshire, England

Norton railway station was a railway station to serve Norton, South Yorkshire, England. It was built by the Wakefield, Pontefract and Goole Railway company on their line between Doncaster and Knottingley. The line and its stations were absorbed into the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1847 when that company changed its name from the Manchester and Leeds Railway.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Marnham Power Station</span> Former coal-fired power station in England

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Bold Power Station refers to a series of two coal-fired power stations in Bold near St Helens, Merseyside, North West England. They were closed, decommissioned and demolished between 1981 and 1992, and a housing estate now occupies the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkstall Power Station</span> Former coal-fired power station in Leeds, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knottingley TMD</span> Disused railway traction shed in West Yorkshire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megawatt Valley</span> Location with many electric generating stations

Megawatt Valley is a term applied to a geographic location which houses a large number of electricity generating stations. Historically in the United Kingdom this applied to the coal-fired power stations of the lower Trent Valley. In the mid-1980s, the valley's 13 facilities generated up to a quarter of the power demand for England and Wales. A shift to gas-fired power stations saw many of the Megawatt Valley facilities close down. The term was then associated with an area of Yorkshire centred on the River Aire that was home to Ferrybridge C, Eggborough and Drax power stations. Of these facilities only Drax remains in operation. In the United States the term has been applied to an area of West Virginia, home to five power stations.

References

  1. 1 2 Pickering, Kevin T.; Owen, Lewis A. (1997). An introduction to global environmental issues (2 ed.). Routledge. p.  162. ISBN   0-415-14098-6.
  2. ↑ House of Commons North West Regional Committee. The Stationery Office. 2010. Fig.1 "Large Point Sources of Carbon Emissions in the Region by size and sector, 2006", Ev.2; "Environment Agency", Ev. 9. ISBN   978-0-215-55352-2.
  3. 1 2 Haywood, Russ (2009). Railways, urban development and town planning in Britain: 1948–2008. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp.128–129; Appendix 10, "Rail freight services and power stations: 1970–2005", p.359. ISBN   978-0-7546-7392-7.
  4. ↑ "2.6 Underground mining". Energy resources: Coal (Report). The Open University . Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  5. ↑ "Electricity Supplies". Hansard: House of Commons. 46. cc770-1. 25 July 1983. How will Ferrybridge, Eggborough, Drax and other power stations be supplied with coal if Selby cannot supply them?
  6. ↑ "Freight: Route Utilisation Strategy" (PDF). Network Rail. March 2007. pp.3; 5; 37; 90; 101; 125, "Figure B1: Key import coal routes and coal loading points". Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  7. ↑ "Power station begins closure consultation". BBC. September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  8. ↑ "Ferrybridge C coal-fired power station closes after 50 years". BBC News. BBC. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "Reprieve for threatened Eggborough Power Station". BBC News. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  10. ↑ "Eggborough power station to close with loss of 170 jobs". BBC News. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  11. ↑ "Tower demolished at Ferrybridge Power Station". BBC News. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  12. ↑ "Ferrybridge Power Station: Live updates as four more cooling towers are demolished". Wakefield Express . 13 October 2019. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019.
  13. ↑ Hammond, Grace. "Onlookers gather to watch as huge cooling towers are demolished at landmark Yorkshire power station". The Yorkshire Post . Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  14. ↑ Withers, Laura (22 August 2021). "Live Ferrybridge Power Station demolition as M62 and surrounding roads closed". Leeds Live. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  15. ↑ Hutchinson, Andrew (10 October 2021). "Eggborough power station demolition: Remaining cooling towers come crashing down". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  16. ↑ Newton, Grace (8 March 2022). "Watch moment 12,000-ton coal bunker at Eggborough power station is demolished with explosives". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  17. ↑ "Final Ferrybridge power station cooling towers demolished". BBC News. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  18. ↑ Pritchard, Jonathan (2 June 2022). "Eggborough power station demolition: Watch latest demolition carried out at iconic site". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  19. ↑ "Regeneration continues at Eggborough Power Station site". Selby Times . 1 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  20. ↑ "Watch as final part of Eggborough power station is demolished with explosives | ITV News". ITV News. 24 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
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