French-owned energy company EDF Energy has confirmed that West Burton A, a coal-fired power station, closed at midnight 31 March 2023.
The coal-fired plant in North Nottinghamshire closed despite calls for a contingency contract extension to further bolster the UK’s energy security.
National Grid ESO asked both EDF Energy and Drax to continue to operate coal-fired plants over the 2022 to 2023 winter period to ensure enough energy was available to the UK amid the energy crisis. EDF confirmed that its workforce fulfilled the request to have 400MW available throughout the winter.
From 1 April, the 57-year-old plant moved into full decommissioning. This will involves removing oil and fuel from the plant and terminating any power connections. EDF expects this process to be completed by December 2023.
This however will not be the end for West Burton in terms of power generation. The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) confirmed it would develop the nation’s first fusion energy plant as part of the government-backed Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP).
The plant, which will be built by 2040, will aim to deliver safe, sustainable, low carbon energy for the UK on its path towards net zero emissions. Because of this profile, fusion could have a significant role in a low-carbon economy in the UK.
The winter contingency coal units had been used for the first time in early March during a cold snap of weather. Two coal units at West Burton power station ran from just before 14:00 on Tuesday 7 March till around 20:30, adding capacity during a particularly constrained period as demand hit its 10th highest point of the winter whilst wind generation stayed low and interconnectors capacity was insecure due to strikes in France.
In addition to EDF’s two coal units at West Burton, Drax also warmed two of its units last Tuesday in anticipation of potential use.
This was the fifth time that the units have been warmed this winter, with the instruction issued by the operator on 7 February, 26 January, 23 January and 12 December, but ultimately they weren’t used on those occasions.
The closing of the West Burton A coal-fired plant is a win for the renewables sector and signals a change in the UK’s energy focus.
Although calls for a continuation of the coal plants can be understood in a bid to stabilise the UK’s energy supply, particularly for next winter, the real focus should be on scaling renewable generation and, in the longer-term, nuclear energy. Only then can the UK truly achieve both decarbonisation and energy security.
