Baglan Energy Park electricity supply to remain switched on

A new electricity supply to the park is set to connect it to the National Grid

Power to an industrial estate employing 1,600 people in Neath Port Talbot will stay on while a court considers the future of its energy supply.

Baglan Energy Park's on-site power station was due to be switched off at 20:00 GMT on Friday, months before an alternative connection was in place.

The Welsh government has asked a court to intervene.

The Official Receiver said it had agreed to "temporarily maintain power supply" while legal action continues.

A further hearing is likely to take place next week.

Operations at Baglan Power Station are being wound down after the operators went bust last year.

The Official Receiver had set a deadline of 14 January to end its private electricity supply.

The Welsh government has agreed to fund a new electricity supply, after a private line collapsed in March, but that may not be ready for another six months.

Businesses had warned that switching off the power could have a "catastrophic" impact, while backup generators have been installed in recent days as a contingency plan.

Generators have also been installed at sewage pumps on the industrial estate, with warnings that a loss of power could cause flooding to nearby homes.

The Welsh government, along with Neath Port Talbot council, Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water and a paper mill based at the plant, have jointly applied for an injunction to prevent power being disconnected.

The Welsh government declined to comment.