ENGIE has confirmed it is to begin decommissioning its 1,000 MW coal-fired Rugeley Power Station in Staffordshire by the end of June 2016. The company first announced its plan to cease market operations in February this year, due to the deterioration in market conditions for UK coal-fired power generation.
The company said there will be no compulsory redundancies before end of June and it is planning a staged reduction in the number of employees on site in line with its decommissioning plan.
ENGIE expects the decommissioning of the plant to last up to 9 months with a workforce of approximately 30 people in place through this period, followed by a demolition of around three years. The company is exploring redevelopment options for the site.
A spokesperson said: “The closure of coal-fired generation capacity in the UK reflects a wider energy transition that is taking place towards a less carbon-intensive and more decentralised energy system. ENGIE remains one of the UK’s largest independent power producers and is a major supplier to commercial and industrial energy and services customers.”
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