Eggborough Power Station was a 2 gigawatt coal-fired generating plant in North Yorkshire, England. The station comprised four 500 megawatt units, with generating sets supplied by AEI. Construction began in 1962 and the first unit started generating electricity in 1967. Construction was completed by September 1970.
The station was commissioned and initially operated by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) and became the property of National Power upon privatisation in 1990. British Energy bought the power station in 2000. British energy was purchased by EDF in 2009, however Eggborough’s lenders had the option to purchase the station the following April. On 1 April 2010, EDF transferred Eggborough to the plant’s bondholders. In January 2015 the sale of the power station to Czech Republic-based Energetický a průmyslový holding was finalised.
The low-pressure (LP) turbines of Units 1, 3 and 4 were replaced between 1993-1995 and the high-pressure (HP) turbines of Units 3 and 4 were replaced between 2005-2007. These upgrades increased the plants thermal efficiency and output.
The power station had one chimney which was 198.5m tall, was 21.6m wide at the base and tapered to 18.6m at the top. The chimney contained four 6.1m diameter flue ducts. There were 8 natural draught cooling towers, each 114m tall and 86.5m wide at the base.
In 1998 electrostatic precipitators were fitted to all units, and Flue Gas De-sulphurisation (FGD) was added to units 3 and 4 in 2005. Between 2005-2007 a boiler burner and combustion air system BOFA (Boosted Over Fire Air) commenced on Units 1, 3 and 4 to reduce Nitrogen Oxide emissions.
Eggborough and Ferrybridge power stations pumped ash from their boilers to a disposal site to the south of both stations, called Gale Common Ash Disposal Site. The site is owned by Eggborough Power, and was landscaped by Brenda Colvin into 160m hills with contours.
Eggborough faced the threat of closure for a few years, and in 2018 it was announced it would close by September that year. The power station stopped generating on 23 March 2018.
Buildings and Plant Detail
Turbine Hall
Boiler HouseThe four boilers at Eggborough were manufactured by Foster Wheeler / John Brown.
Control Room
Workshops
Coal Handling PlantThe coal plant could store 1.75 million tons of coal and had a bucket-wheel excavator.
Eggborough Image Gallery
Visit the plant detail pages above to view more images from each area of the power plant
5 thoughts on “Eggborough Power Station, North Yorkshire”
Yes until 1985 and ironically now live only 3 miles from ironbridge. Loved Eggborough. It was a big but tidy place, self contained and as a trainee gave me a great start in life.
I was one of the first personnel on site in 1964,laying down the revolutionary foundation steelwork right through
To installation of all 4 t/a units. the photos on this site bring back happy memories.
Hi, I worked at Eggborough as an AEI Engineering Technician around 1967. I had previously been employed at the main works where these machines were built and tested but never up to max power. I remember being sent to check brush box temperatures in the main exciter with no ear protection and the noise was horrendous when the sliding canopy was pulled back. I also recall spending a night with soap and water trying to locate a hydrogen leak by testing all welds on pipework. The AEI crew were a legend in the local pubs and at the local Crossroads Motel. Chief AEI engineer was Taffy Thomas . Them ‘travelling’ men taught me a lot! Alan Pedder
HI I worked at Eggborough !964-70 with AEI as Turbine erector under Taffy Thomas. My abiding memory was the stators burning out and the mad 6 months repairs ,My crew Working fortnights about days and nights continuous. Wouldnt like to do it now .Would say the knottingly crew i supervised were great chaps to a man
I helped in the construction and my visit was concerned with the baffles fitted in the stack.
I had to climb up vertical ladders to inlet duct level.
These ladders had no back cages.
I still have nightmares.