Centrica has confirmed the closure date for the Killingholme power station. The energy company first made the announcement that the Lincolnshire based station was to close in 2015 due to the losses that Centrica’s gas fired power stations were making; in an official statement recently released, the power company stated that it will close Killingholme A on March 1, 2016.
In a press release, Centrica’s Operations Director Mark Futyan, said:
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has played their part at Killingholme over the past 21 years of operation. We will continue to support the site team, as we have since we announced the potential for closure earlier in the year.
“For the final few months of winter, Killingholme will remain ready to step in and help at periods of high demand until the time comes to switch off for the last time.”
Plans to sell the gas power plant got underway in 2014, but as the bids did not reach expectations, Centrica announced proposals to close the loss-making Killingholme A power station.
The Killingholme A power station is currently functioning under the National Grid’s Supplemental Balancing Reserve, but this will cease on February 29th, 2016, hence the official closure of the plant.
Killingholme A, opened in 1994 and was originally owned by National Power; it was purchased by Centrica in 2004 and had a capacity to create 665 megawatts of power.
South Humber Bank
However, there is better news for Centrica’s South Humber Bank power station, which is now secure until 2027. It is to be returned to full power in 2017, and Centrica has announced that £63 million is to be invested in the gas turbines at the plant, which is based in North East Lincolnshire.
Killingholme B
In 2015, E.on announced that it would be withdrawing the Killingholme B power station and its 900 MWs of capacity from the market, and that the Transmission Entry Capacity would be released in the National Grid.
At the time, the company also stated that the power station could face permanent closure, and E.on UK’s chief executive, Tony Cocker, spoke of the challenges for the gas-fired power stations. In June 2015, E.on officially announced that the Killingholme B station was to close with the loss of at least fifty jobs.
Killingholme B is owned by E-on and was brought back into service in 2005 after two years of work and a £25 million investment.