Progress on the future demolition of the colossal cooling towers at a Nottinghamshire power station is being made. Plans have suggested there will be a 'blow-down' event before 2030 and come as the coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar will close in September 2024.
The coal power station, which lies in the Rushcliffe borough, is one of the first sights many see on their way into Nottingham as they travel along the A453. It is set to be decommissioned in the next decade in line with Government policy.
Uniper, which runs the site, must meet its target of making power stations across Europe carbon neutral by 2035. The coal-fired station has played a considerable role in generating power for the country over the past five decades, construction having been completed in 1967 and the site commissioned in 1968.
Read more: When Ratcliffe power station will close for good
Initial plans have now been submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council for an 'environmental impact assessment' for the demolition of two of eight cooling towers. A statement from Uniper says the application is for an "Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Report for demolition of the two southernmost cooling towers at Ratcliffe Power Station".
It marks a scoping request and an environmental impact assessment is compulsory ahead of the submission of a full planning application. The station has four boilers, one in which will close this year. The rest will be decommissioned by 2024. Upon its decommissioning, it has been proposed the vast region will then be transformed into a "diverse, multi-occupant, low-carbon and green energy, and advanced manufacturing hub".
Uniper has already received planning permission for a new waste incinerator on part of the power station site, known as the East Midlands Energy Re-Generation (EMERGE) Centre. It follows a submission by the East Midlands Freeport Board last year, which outlined its business case for the wider site to the Government, with hopes to create tens of thousands of jobs.
Included in this business case are plans for "gigafactories for battery and electric vehicle manufacturing" as well as a hotel. It is anticipated there will be a "blow-down" event for the first two cooling towers (referred to as CTs in planning documents). This is where explosive charges are fitted to the structure and detonated, bringing it down in one, fell swoop.
Plans add: "The development proposed comprises the demolition and removal of CTs 2A and 4A by 31 December 2030, at which point the buildings will be at the end of their operational life. Taking into account economic, health and safety, and environmental factors, the proposed demolition is considered to be the best option for the site for meeting the requirements of preserving the openness and permanence of the Green Belt for the development of the EMERGE Centre.
"Based on previous demolition projects on power station sites in the UK, it is considered that decommissioning and demolition of the CTs is anticipated to take approximately 6–8 months, 24–32 weeks to complete. Due to the CTs' characteristics and location within the power station site, they cannot be dismantled piece by piece and need to be demolished in one process, following completion of preceding preparation stages for proposed demolition.
"It is inevitable that the demolition of built structures will generate dust, noise, traffic movements and waste materials. However, these issues can be managed by means of the preparation and implementation of a Demolition Method Statement which will detail the mitigation measures to be followed by the appointed Demolition Contractor to minimise the impacts on the surrounding environment."
