172 jobs lost as Ferrybridge power plant closes

More than 170 jobs are set to be lost following the news that a power station on the edge of Selby will close within months.

Owners, SSE, announced the decision to pull the plug on the Ferrybridge C plant to 'stunned silence' amongst employees at a meeting held yesterday. The plant will cease generating electricity by March 31st, next year.

SSE blamed a the plants closure on rising operating costs at the 48-year-old station, compounded by the difficulties of recovering from an on-site fire in July 2014. Despite the station's parent company announcing a pre-tax profit of £1.56bn for the year ending March 2015, SSE forecasts that the plant would lose £100 million over the next five years, if it was to remain open.ͥ

Paul Smith, SSE managing director of generation, told the BBC, "Our team at Ferrybridge is highly skilled, dedicated, with a strong track record of performance and we're keen to ensure, where possible, staff are redeployed across other parts of the SSE group, for example at the nearby Keadby power station, or across the wider business."