After providing the UK with energy for half a century, demolition work has begun on Ferrybridge Power Station in West Yorkshire.
Its owners, energy company SSE, shut the coal-fired power station in Knottingley in March 2016, after producing electricity for an impressive 50 years.
The firm stated the decision was made to help SSE transition to low-carbon energy in a bid to help the government reach its low carbon emissions target.
As a result of this, work began to demolish the disused power station over the weekend, with one of its cooling towers being brought down in a ceremonial fashion on Sunday (July 28th).
Thousands of people turned up to watch the 114-metre tall structure come crushing down in a matter of seconds as a result of a controlled blast, representing the first stage of destruction.
Before Tower Six was torn down, an exclusion zone was set up to protect onlookers from falling debris as the structure fell to the ground.
Four other towers at the site, situated on the A1(M), are due to be demolished in October, with the remaining three to be destroyed at a later date. It is thought the demolition work on the site will be completed by summer 2021, allowing two years for the area to be fully cleared.
Those who have previously driven on the A1(M) and M62 motorways will certainly notice the absence of the landmark structures on their commutes once they are all gone. Indeed, traffic restrictions were in place on Sunday in the anticipation of drivers slowing down to witness the spectacle.
Spokesperson for SSE Charlie Cryans said: “The removal of this cooling tower marks the start of the major demolition activities at Ferrybridge Power Station, with work due to continue over the next two years.”
He added: “This first demolition will act as a pilot for a bigger event scheduled for October, when up to four of the cooling towers will be removed.”
The demolition of Tower Six marks a poignant moment in the history of the power station, which could generate enough energy for nearly two million people at its peak.
Sky News reported that Ferrybridge first opened in 1966 and soon became the first site in Europe to generate electricity from a 500-megawatt machine. It also broke another record in 1973 when one of its generators operated continuously for 5,448 hours, which is more than 32 weeks non-stop.
Mr Cryans, director of construction for SSE, told the news provider that the plant became “an iconic site for the area”. Having provided jobs for many in the community, it is also somewhere “many local people are connected to”.
This explains why thousands turned up over the weekend to see the first phase of destruction on the site, representing the end of the plant that has been part of the landscape for more than five decades.
Mr Cryans said: “The start of these demolition works is a landmark moment in the UK’s energy transition, as we move towards a low-carbon future.”
Indeed, the event took place the day before SSE opened an offshore wind farm in the Moray Firth in Scotland.
On Monday, the Prince of Wales officially opened the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm to celebrate the launch of the renewable energy site. Situated 13km from the Caithness coast, it thought to be the fourth largest offshore wind farm in the world.
According to the BBC, the facility, which includes 84 turbines, can produce enough energy for 450,000 homes, and as a result, is Scotland’s single largest source of renewable energy.
Claire Mack, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, told the news provider: “Scotland has a quarter of Europe’s offshore wind resource and Beatrice represents one of the first steps in tapping it.”
She noted a greater use of wind farms would result in more “environmental and economic benefits” across Scotland.
The £2.5 billion project could help achieve “some of the world’s most challenging climate change targets and [build] a smart energy system with renewable energy at its heart”.
Indeed, it was only in June that the UK government committed itself to ending its contribution to global warming by 2050 by cutting its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero over the next 31 years.
This is a significant improvement on its previous target, which was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent from 1990 levels.
Energy and clean growth minister Chris Skidmore said: “We’re pioneering the way for other countries to follow in our footsteps driving prosperity by seizing the economic opportunities of becoming a greener economy.”
By committing to net zero carbon emissions, the government needs to offset any greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere by planting trees or using carbon capture and storage technology.
The country could be well on its way to achieving its ambitious target after Weather Energy reported that energy produced by wind power in Scotland in the first six months of the year could cover 4.47 million homes.
Indeed, by being able to power every home in Scotland and part of the north of England during 2019 so far, wind farms were able to reach a record high with regards to energy output.
Speaking with the publication, Alex Wilcox Brooke of Severn Wye Energy Agency said: “These figures really highlight the consistency of wind energy in Scotland and why it now plays a major part in the UK energy market.”
As a result of this, more power plants in the UK could end up demolished over the next few years to make way for more environmentally-friendly sites instead. Therefore, the destruction of Ferrybridge – which will make use of a variety of equipment, including a two shaft double jaw breaker – will be one of many if the government wants to eliminate traditional coal-generated energy.
If you want to hire demolition equipment to help with the decommissioning of a site, give us a call today. We have a range of machinery available to hire, including crushers, screeners, and shredders, and provide on-site operational training to make the process as easy as possible.
