Story of the towers that dominated our skyline for 50 years
FIDDLER’S Ferry was in operation for nearly 50 years before closing on March 31, 2020.
The iconic coal-fired plant at Cuerdley has dominated the skyline between Warrington and Widnes since it was built, but it is now set for demolition.
In a recent report sent to Warrington Borough Council it has been revealed that the demolition will take around four years to complete, but there is no firm date when this will begin and decommissioning of the plant should be complete by the end of this March.
The demolition will use explosives to pull down the cooling towers, while experts will be needed to remove the parts of the land built with asbestos.
The report said: “Explosives will be required to demolish the cooling towers. Detonation of explosives results in airborne noise and ground-borne vibration of very short duration.”
The document added that the demolition is likely to take place on a Sunday to minimise disruption and neighbours will be notified.
So, with the news that the demolition of Fiddler’s Ferry is progressing, The Weekly News has taken a look back at its history.
Previously, a spokesman said the closure of the plant was part of SSE’s commitment to a net zero emissions future and comes ahead of the UK Government’s target to end unabated coal-fired generation by 2025 at the latest.
When SSE announced its closure in June 2019, the site employed 158 staff, which SSE said they would seek to redeploy, some working on decommissioning the plant and others given the offer of voluntary redundancy.
According to the SSE spokesman, Fiddler’s Ferry had a capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW), producing enough electricity to power around two million homes at its peak.
The power station was proposed in 1962 when a planning application was also submitted, with the first of four 500MW units coming online in 1971, and the site reaching full operation in 1973.
Fiddler’s Ferry took its name from The Ferry Tavern, which stands on the former site of a ferry that once plied its trade across the River Mersey, and in turn the sight of the power station’s cooling towers inspired the name for another pub, The Eight Towers on Weates Close.
The power station also appeared in the opening titles the BBC comedy Two Pints of Lager and A Packet of Crisps.
But a dramatic moment in its history came on Friday, January 13, 1984, when strong winds caused cooling tower B2 to collapse.
Over its lifetime, Fiddler’s Ferry produced around 393TWh (terawatt hours) enough to power the entire UK for 15 months.