Final cooling towers at Ferrybridge C to be demolished

Ferrybridge C once had eight 380ft (115m) high cooling towers

The last three cooling towers at a West Yorkshire power station are to be demolished in a controlled explosion.

The 380ft (115m) high structures at Ferrybridge C in Knottingley were a familiar landmark to drivers on the nearby A1(M) road.

It was one of the biggest power generators in Europe with its coal-fired boilers producing enough electricity to power two million homes.

The plant was shut in March 2016 having produced energy for more than 50 years.

The first five cooling towers were demolished in 2019.

In September last year, climate minister Alok Sharma pressed a button to demolish two chimney stacks and the main boiler house at the site.

The final three giant towers will be brought down on Thursday evening.

SSE said although there would be an exclusion zone around the area, residents in nearby homes would not have to leave their properties.

The company said the closure and demolition of the site was part of its plans to move to a "low-carbon energy future".

Ferrybridge C, which is on the River Aire, was the third coal-fired power station to be built on the site since 1924.

At its peak more than 900 people worked at the plant.

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