Aire valley power stations

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

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.

  1. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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.