West Burton Coal Plant To Close Next Year
By Paul Homewood
EDF Energy has announced plans to shut down its last remaining coal-fired power station in the UK – as it eyes a larger contribution from nuclear to meet the country’s electricity needs.
The French company said the West Burton A plant, near Retford in Nottinghamshire, would be decommissioned from September 2022 – two years ahead of a government climate-based ambition for an end to coal-based power generation.
The current deadline is October 2025 but that appears set to be brought forward by 12 months.
EDF said the site, which houses four 500-megawatt capacity coal units, would stay open for the next 18 months only to meet its agreed commitments to the grid.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/climate-coal-fired-power-nears-113000856.html
So another 2GW of reliable power is to disappear from the grid.
West Burton is, by the way, on one of my regular biking circuits, which also includes the nearby Cottam coal power station, closed a couple of years ago. Neither location is in any way “dirty”, a myth commonly perpetrated about coal power.
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
Paul, you misunderstand the meaning of “dirty” these days. CO2 is “dirty”, so a coal fired power station emitting CO2 is a prime example of what we must stop doing…(sarc!)
Of course if you capture all the CO2 using CCS or even CCUS, coal becomes “clean” again, but no-one acknowledges that, as they are all used to believing coal is irredeemably evil! Keep up the good work!
ken, why are you swerving the fact, that burning coal releases LESS CO2 that the lunatic burning of hardwood pellets at the like of Drax, which releases ALL the CO2 stored in the tree’s lifetime.
Ah, but the Govt has said that burning wood pellets produces zero emissions so it is much better than coal or gas and there is none of the nasty radiation from nuclear. As we know, Boris and his mates are only following the science.
Ken… “Of course if you capture all the CO2 using CCS or even CCUS…”
That is the theory . In practice that CCS industry is not able to capture even one part-per-million. The best they can do, collectively and globally, is about 40 million tons annually. That’s about half of one percent of ONE ppm. Not gonna happen, even by 2050.
Paul and Ken Pollock,
You must really try harder to get ‘on message’
If you use dirty nasty coal to generate grown up energy it is POLLUTION.
If you use the same coal to generate really dangerous energy like which destroyed the Lindbergh dirigible – aka hydrogen – then that is fine.
Just ask BP who are to build a plant in Teeside.
Today I sent an email to Ben Houchen the Tees Valley Mayor about the financial and pollution problems this will cause, let alone the difficulty of producing the stuff, warning him that like sheep whose ambition is to die, so hydrogen tries to escape and explode! Not expecting a reply!
Pat,
Charles Lindbergh flew ‘The Spirit of St. Louis’ a single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane across the Atlantic in 1927,
The German ‘Hindenberg’ air ship disaster was 1937
Ken, as I have posted in a comment here before: When XR were going strong last year, one of their (it was a she) leading spokesmen was invited on to R4 Today. She was asked: If I had a magic wand and I could remove all the so-called ills of C02, would you be happy; would you still want to see f-f power-generation stopped?
Oh yes!
(Face-Palm)
Harry
I suspect you are talking about Zion lights. she has since had a revelation, backed away from renewables, left XR and now promotes nuclear, having realised it is the only way to keep our lights on
Alan, happy to agree and not swerving away from that simple fact. One day, the scales will fall from our leaders’ eyes and they will tax the biomass CO2 like any other source of that amazing gas, and suddenly Drax will want to go back to coal!!
Ken, unless the green train hasn’t hit the buffers by then, I think you’ll find that’ll be the day that Drax quits the energy game. At present, biomass is responsible for approx 7% of our energy output but a whopping 37% of the Co2 produced across the power generation sector. Whilst the government pretends ‘biogenic’ Co2 doesn’t exist and is happy to subsidise forest chopping, then all is fine and dandy at Drax. The day HMG recognises that Co2 is the same, whatever its’ source, and penalises biomass plants with a carbon tax, then that is the day that Drax is royally screwed.
The day the greentards recognise that CO2 is essential for life and plants like around 1000ppm is the day I die happy.
HI Paul
i have a few contacts in what remains of the group of companies that supply coal to the UK coal fired power stations. The word on the block is that EDF have been asked by a UK government department to mothball West Burton rather than schedule it for demolition. Looks like the civil service mandarins are beginning to worry.
1. UK Government can not persuade any one to build new gas fired electricity generating stations which will only ever be on “uncertain standby”.
2. Also Boris and his “mass north sea windmills” potentially giving serious destabilisation problems to the electricity supply grid.
I wonder how many half hours at £4,000/MWh, or £1 million each it takes to justify keeping West Burton open. It has had a few this winter.
From the point of CO2 production per unit of electricity produced, would it not be better to run West Burton as base load and ramp Drax up and down in line with demand?
It’s interesting that some in government are beginning to worry about standby generation. The wishful thinking is starting to unravel. It always takes time for economic reality to be demonstrated to the idiots who run the country but reality always wins in the end. You can plan for lots of standby generation on terms that make your numbers work but if investors don’t see the return or you have made the return uncertain with your behaviour (see the EU and pharma) you won’t get any money risked.
As it’s a specific claim, a link would be useful
Several issues here
The market is primarily controlled by demand and the UK government policies. These policies are exacting a heavy toll on all heavy industries right now and coal fired power is one such. This is at play, not any jingoism.
The other point made by another poster is the sub sea cable under the channel. The UK government chose not to negotiate trading power in the last round of the negotiations with the EU (in the same fashion as financial services). It was brought up and highlighted that the connector may close on both sides. Tantamount to war is an incredibly silly comment. Again it was a choice made by the UK government, though for what reason I cannot envisage.
We are our of the EU, under our own terms. We can’t really keep blaming the EU now, for our choices. Just as we knew there would be issues exporting as a third country, some of these issies have been highlighted here above the line in the past, as problems of UK policy.
A reliable energy supply is a National Security issue and here we have a French Company closing a vital dispatchable power generator. Maybe Micron Macron is i on it and EDF a EU “mole” with instructions to hobble the UK. I would not be surprised to see European “connectors” used in the scheme to punish the UK for Brexit and Vaccine success
Paul, this answer from John deserves a very close scrutiny. Energy IS a national security matter.
France really did threaten to close the under-Channel interconnector! I can barely believe our friend and partner Macron said that, or the lack of media coverage it got.
It was tantamount to an act of war. (Make that two, given the EU’s stance on NI, but that’s a separate issue)
Our country is in serious danger from an energy policy that isn’t fir for purpose and most notably from our own politicians. This needs to be shouted from the rooftops.
Indeed CR. I do believe that the interconnector issue was a very significant factor in pretty much maintaining EU fishing rights in U.K. waters for the next 5 years, post Brexit. Whilst the Europeans gain in power sales to us in the interim, when our homegrown supplies are weak, they can also leverage access in the future when current agreements are up for review. Coincidentally, fishing access and energy supplies will be reviewed at around the same time under the current withdrawal agreement. With the increasing loss of domestic reliable, base load capacity, Boris’ ‘friends’ across the channel could potentially have us over a barrel to the detriment, yet again, of our own fishing industry when the agreements are reviewed. The fact that our primary energy infrastructure is so depleted and that we are in a position to be potentially blackmailed is a scandalous indictment of the entire British political class stretching back decades.
Whenever I see somebody wittering on about the “EU punishing us”, I know there’s a clueless fool.
No punishment, you clueless fool.
Toddle off back to Guido Fawkes, you’ll find more of your ilk there.
So the statements made by EU leaders were not made?
Why is it Europhiles think ignoring facts they didn’t like makes them the clever ones?
Adam, I must be as clueless as the journalists, quoting EU sources, who came up with the following headlines, amongst many others, as the Brexit deal was being finalised:
Bloomberg – ‘EU seeks Brexit bargaining chip pitting fishery rights against energy’.
Telegraph – ‘EU hints at a Brexit energy blockade’.
RTE – ‘EU to leverage energy market for U.K. fishery access’.
Independent – ‘Brexit deal gives EU right to cut off energy supplies if U.K. tries to take back control of fishing in 2026 – no coincidence that both deals are up for renewal at the same time’.
But my personal favourite quote comes from the, no doubt, avid reader of Guido Fawkes and, presumably die hard Brexiteer, the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, when interviewed on France 3 TV in January 2021 after the deal had been concluded. He said: ‘In 2026 what would be the issue is the renewal of access to the six to twelve mile zone on which it will be necessary to discuss. But, at that point, we plan to have some strong negotiating elements, strong enough to say “If you bother us on fishing we’ll bother you on the energy”. And, the British, on energy, I believe there are some difficulties’.
I rest my case m’lud.
@mack
How does any of that lead to resting your case? Media reports on items that didnt come to past hardly bolsters the idea of faults on negotiations.
Indeed the issues we see, for example on the fisheries side (exporters) is the new exporting process, our UK systems.
The fact is the UK buys electricity from Europe via the interconnection meaning that that conne toon could be cut if those contracts are no longer viable.
But hey keep seeing vipers in every next rather than lioki g at the real problems for heavy industry, the UK carbon levies.
Mack, none of which involve any “Punishment” of the UK.
Simple part of bargaining.
You want this? We want that.
We want electricity generated in another country? They want access to fisheries in our EEZ.
Except that we pay for the electricity.
@paul
Er fishing access is essentially traded. In any case
“After 31 December 2020, and until a license is issued, an EU Member State flagged vessel has no right to fish in UK waters, and needs to refrain from fishing in UK waters. This is the default situation until vessels have confirmation that they can go and fish in UK waters, through (temporary) licensing. Only when a vessel owner has ascertained the license to fish in UK waters, the vessel can sail and engage in fishing activities in those waters.”
Not the point, Dan
France wants free access to our fishing grounds.If they are prepared to pay for it, I am sure some arrangement could be made.
Or maybe they should sell us their electricity for free?
Sorry Paul it is exactly the point.
Access to UK waters is “traded” for access to EU waters. It is a reciprocal arrangement managed by the UK government for UK waters and EU countries for their waters. The payment is the trade. So in effect, it is paid for.
Not that the point in the first place has any revelance to the claims above. The interconnection is a business and thus can close if the contracts are not there, or if broken, as it has been for several months. And individual has the choice the buy.
Except the French don’t see it like that!
https://www.itv.com/news/2020-12-04/exclusive-french-demands-to-fish-within-12-miles-of-the-uk-threatens-brexit-deal
The BritNed is closed again.
BritNed tripped on 8 December and did not return to service until 9 February due to a cable fault. The damaged cable section was found approximately 100 km off the Dutch coast at a water depth of 40-50 meters. Repairs were successfully carried out within 29 days despite severe weather. But now the interconnector has developed another fault (on 9th March), probably with the cable again, and is expected to remain out of service until 22 April.
And just lest you think this is a Continental problem, be aware that we have been without the HVDC Western Link for most of the winter too.
https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/138571/download
Alan, any chance of our leaders doing the sums like you have? Or even get the numerate Bill Gates to understand – he wants 50 billion tons a year removed from the results of human civilisation. Not easy to see the sort of kit that would need – nor the places to store it either…
Drax decommissions its two remaining Coal units next week. Boris will say ‘nothing to do with me’ when the lights go out next winter. It will be the end of the Tories.
“UK nears extinction as EDF to shut West Burton A plant”
Fixed it.
And what does EDF stand for:
Electricite de France
Given that we are challenging a “myth” based religion, myth batting becomes par for the course!
What worries me is that children are actively being indoctrinated with the intention of them joining the ranks.
They are not being taught science not being taught history but instead a twisted marxist instigated post modernism and progressivism where myths are their stock in trade.
Interestingly, a group of year 11 pupils I was looking after this afternoon (supposedly playing touch rugby but that is another story) were of the opinion that electric cars were a waste of time (but were aware that they were the only new option post 2030). So don’t take it as a given that their heads are full of green crap!
5th January 2022 17:30:3153 the UK grid collapses. Think I am joking?
The decommissioning date is not till September according to the article. However, the point is taken. I also am expecting power cuts in due course. At that stage I hope for a policy reversal in time to prevent the possible grid collapse.
I spent a couple of years living in Gainsborough, in those days there was a string of power stations down the Trent between us and my In-Laws. The RAF used to fly overhead in Tornadoes, I worked on the Inertial Navigation system at Ferranti in Edinburgh.
All gone now apart from Ratcliffe-on-Soar which was planned for conversion to gas which I think has been knocked on the head, and I’ve read recently that a Nuclear Fusion power station and/or a waste incinerator power station will replace the coal plant. Driving past a series of power stations on a winter’s night was very comforting for someone who spent the winter of 1962/3 in a house without electricity (a 21st century improvement)
Before lockdown I made a couple of trips from Derby to have a couple of hours cycling and a pub lunch at Gainsborough.
“…Nuclear Fusion…”
‘Fission,’ surely!
Nope Fusion, also somewhere in North East in frame.
A “groundbreaking” nuclear fusion reactor could be built on the site of a coal power station in Nottinghamshire.
Fusion is a potential source of almost limitless clean energy but is currently only carried out in experiments.
The government is seeking sites to build what it said would be the UK’s, and potentially the world’s, first prototype commercial reactor.
Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, which is due to be decommissioned, is set to be put forward by the borough council.
https://insightnewsreport.com/2021/03/03/uk-first-nuclear-fusion-plan-for-nottinghamshire-power-station/#:~:text=Ratcliffe-on-Soar%20power%20station,%20which%20is%20due%20to%20be,reactors%20which%20rely%20on%20fission,%20breaking%20atoms%20apart.
What is the effective carbon footprint of a waste incinerator? Much if not most of the waste will be plastics based . This comes from oil , so presumably its contribution to our net carbon dioxide balance will be similar to that of a diesel or gas fuelled generator, rather than that of the DRAX power stations which have been declared carbon neutral .
In 2015, Amber Rudd announced the decision to close all coal-fired power stations by 2025. This should be known as “Amber’s Law”.
HELP! ….was the dying cry in the darkness.
Unless something changes fast the western world is doomed to ruin and starvation
No, it makes perfect sense. Take a fully paid-up, reliable, cheap generator of 2GW of electricity and just bin it.
Then you can replace it with the equivalent of about 10 East Anglia 1s, about 2000 turbines covering 3000 km squared. The sea’s big enough, huh? Sure the nominal power will be about 7GW with so many turbines, but wind is fickle. The 7GW nominal will probably make 2GW most of the time, right? Those times when the wind isn’t blowing? We’ll figure something out. Probably start by turning off the supply to the plebs. What are they going to use it for anyway? In fact, who am I trying to kid. By that time the plebs will be pleading to be turned off to reduce their electric bills.
Obviously the birds being dashed to bits are a shame, but what can you do? It’s either that or climapocalypse.
And don’t worry guys. Those turbines will defo last 50 years plus, just like West Burton did.
How many years has West Burton got left in it – probably more than the North Sea wind mills
All of the above comments excellent.Now to work.
Recently recieved letters etc.from local councillors and MP asking for a vote in the upcoming local elections here in Lincoln,even bragging about their Green Policies.
My reply will be detailed in explaining why they are so dangerously wrong and delusional.The final remark will be to inform them that I do not give my vote to a Green party which they so obviously are now,in all but name.
One can only hope that it will give them cause to think.Also,I will ask them to contact me if they need any further information,or references for further enlightenment.
So,to horse troops,up lads and at ,em.
Aircraft are dirty because of CO2 but electric car tyres are not even though have an enormous output of particulates. Brainlessness rules.
Will this ever happen ? https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/dounreay-in-potential-bid-to-host-worlds-first-nuclear-fusi-231303/
A serious issue related to the shut-down of coal is energy storage. Coal fired power stations and nuclear both hold several months of stored energy. Gas is dependent upon the rapidly reducing cavern storage capacity, which is fine for summer months but not for winter. A bad combination of winter weather and politics could leave the UK worse than most third-world countries, where the rich have their own generators and the poor suffer long power cuts.