01 Aug 2014
Safety officials are investigating the cause of a huge blaze at a leading UK power station.
Expert ambulance hazard response crews joined 15 firefighting teams to cordon off the area at the Ferrybridge C plant after the fire started shortly before 2pm on Thursday, July 31.
SSE’s Yorkshire coal-fired station was evacuated as firefighters took many hours to fight the fire, which threw flames and thick smoke into the air. The “Big Six” power provider says it is starting an investigation into the blaze’s cause.
Experts are due to visit the site on Friday once the site has cooled.
The station was on its annual shut down for the summer, which means that the electricity supply was not affected, according to National Grid officials. SSE says its emergency response plan was sparked by the fire, adding that customer and staff safety was their main priority.
The power plant, which sits on the banks of West Yorkshire’s River Aire, opened in 1966. It boasts two chimneys which stand 198m (650ft) tall and eight cooling towers which stand at 380ft – Europe’s tallest.
New European “green” legislation has prompted huge changes at the plant.
A multi-fuel station is likely to begin generating energy in 2015. The 65MW plant plan follows the European Union’s Industrial Emissions Directive aimed at lowering emissions.
SSE said in a release issued on Thursday that there has been no reports of any injuries and no-one has gone missing.
Copyright Press Association 2014