SSE can confirm that the remaining units at its coal-fired Fiddler’s Ferry Power Station in Warrington, Cheshire, will close by 31 March 2020, following the completion of collective consultation with employees and trade unions. SSE announced its proposal to close the station in June this year.
Fiddler’s Ferry is the last remaining coal-fired power station in SSE’s generation fleet, with a total capacity of 1,510MW from its three operational units. Unit 1 at the site was closed in March 2019.
Fiddler’s Ferry has had limited success in the Government’s Capacity Market auctions and its current contract ended in September 2019. Its financial performance has deteriorated to unsustainable levels, with losses of around £40 million in SSE’s last financial year.
As national and international policies focus on promoting lower-carbon forms of power generation in a bid to tackle climate change, the economics of coal-fired stations have become increasingly challenged. The UK has committed to ending unabated coal-fired electricity generation by 2025, and Government has legislated to achieve a net zero carbon emissions target by 2050.
SSE has itself committed to reducing the carbon intensity of the electricity it generates by 50%, as well as trebling its renewable energy output, by 2030. This is in line with its vision to be a leading energy company in a low-carbon world.