Ferrybridge C coal-fired power station closes after 50 years

Its site close to the M62 and A1 has made the cooling towers a landmark.

A coal-fired power station has produced electricity for the last time after 50 years of use, said its operators SSE.

Ferrybridge C power station, near Knottingley, West Yorkshire, will officially close on 31 March before being decommissioned.

Its site close to the M62 and A1 has made the giant cooling towers a well-known landmark.

SSE said a projected loss of £100m over the next five years made the continued life of the plant "unsustainable".

The firm, which has owned Ferrybridge since 2004, has blamed rising costs and the impact of environmental legislation for the decision.

Mick Gee, station manager, said: "It's always been a special place to work where people help each other without asking.

Part of the plant was hit by a serious fire in August 2014.

A new multifuel "waste-to-energy" plant has been built alongside the Ferrybridge C site.