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Keltbray brings down first Ferrybridge cooling tower

29 Jul 19 A controlled explosion by demolition specialist Keltbray brought down an old cooling tower at the former coal-fired Ferrybridge Power Station in West Yorkshire on Sunday morning (28/7/19).

Down she comes...
Down she comes...

Bringing down the 114-metre-high Cooling Tower 6 marked the first stage of major demolition activities at Ferrybridge.

A larger demolition event is expected to take place in October 2019, when four of the remaining cooling towers will be blown down. The demolition activities at the site are expected to be fully completed by summer 2021.

The West Yorkshire power station was officially closed by SSE in March 2016, having produced electricity for over 50 years.

The demolition works are part of SSE’s transition to a low-carbon energy future, in line with the UK’s ambition for net zero carbon emissions by 2050. SSE continues to operate the Ferrybridge Multifuel 1 waste-to-energy plant at the site as a joint venture with Wheelabrator Technologies. The two companies are now constructing Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 in a £325m investment. Combined, the two facilities are expected to divert an estimated 1.3m tonnes of waste from landfill.

Charlie Cryans, director of construction at SSE Thermal Energy, 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. We would like to thank local residents for their patience and cooperation this morning, and West Yorkshire Police, the Highways Agency and the Civil Aviation Authority for helping us ensure a safe and efficient demolition. We’re now looking ahead to the next phase of demolition works at the site scheduled for October, when four of the cooling towers will be removed.”

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MPU
MPU

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