West Burton power stations

West Burton Power Stations
West Burton Power Station viewed from the south in November 2006
Map
CountryEngland
LocationWest Burton, Nottinghamshire
Coordinates53°21′40″N 0°48′40″W / 53.361°N 0.811°W / 53.361; -0.811
StatusB station operational
Construction began1961 (A station)[1]
2008 (B station)
Commission date1966 (A station)[2]
2013 (B station)[3]
Decommission date31 March 2023 (A station)
Construction cost£600 million (Gas)
OwnerEDF Energy
OperatorsCentral Electricity Generating Board
(1966–1990)
National Power
(1990–1996)
Eastern Group
(1996–1998)
TXU Energy
(1998–2001)
EDF Energy
(2001–2021)
EDF Energy (A station)
(2021–present)
EIG Global Energy Partners (B station)
(2021–2024)
Totalenergies (B station)
(2024–present)
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal
Tertiary fuelGas
Power generation
Nameplate capacity2,000 MW
3,270 MW (2013–2023)
1,270 MW (2023 onwards)
External links
Websitewww.edfenergy.com
CommonsRelated media on Commons

grid reference SK791855

The West Burton power stations are a pair of power stations on the River Trent, near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. West Burton A was a coal-fired power station, one of the Hinton Heavies which was commissioned in 1966 and operated until 2023.[2][4] West Burton B on the other hand, is a combined cycle gas turbine power station, commissioned in 2013.[3] West Burton A is owned by EDF Energy, while West Burton B is owned and operated by Totalenergies.

The station has been accredited as an Investor in People since 1995, and certified to ISO 14001 for its environmental management system since 1996; the power station won a RoSPA President's Award in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The site is the farthest north of what was a series of power stations in the Trent valley, being 3.5 miles (5.6 km) downstream of the now-closed Cottam power stations. As of September 2022, it was one of only three coal-fired power stations left in the UK and was required to close before 2024,[5][6][7] with generation on two units initially planned to cease on 30 September 2022.[8]

Due to the volatile energy market associated with the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United Kingdom Government agreed with plant owners EDF Energy that the remaining two generating units would be available for use for 6 months beyond the 30 September 2022 closure date, in order to provide supplies over the winter period. The plant ended generation on 31 March 2023.[9][10]

  1. ^ "Appendix 1". High merit post war coal & oil fired power stations (PDF). Historic England. p. 3. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Nottinghamshire's West Burton A power station to close in 2022". BBC News. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b "EDF Energy starts unit at 1300 MW West Burton B power plant". 13 November 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  4. ^ "West Burton A and B power stations in Nottinghamshire". EDF Energy. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  5. ^ White, Emily (30 October 2020). "Residents asked for their say on future of West Burton power station". Lincolnshire Live. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Count was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Neill, Pippa (30 June 2021). "UK to end coal power by 2024". Air Quality News. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  8. ^ "EDF Energy confirms end-September 2022 closure for West Burton A coal plant". SPGlobal. 21 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  9. ^ "West Burton A coal power station to stay open amid 'ongoing energy crisis'". Lincolnshire Live. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  10. ^ "West Burton A – the past and the future of power?". BBC. 1 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.