EDF to review UK coal plant West Burton's future after Sep 2021

London — EDF Energy is to review the future of its 2 GW West Burton A coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire, England after its capacity market contracts expire in September 2021, the utility told S&P Global Platts Monday.

In recent transparency notes, EDF Energy has indicated generation will cease across all four units at the site from September next year until 2025, when UK coal-fired generation is set to be phased out in any case.

"The company's remaining coal station, West Burton A, has capacity agreements in place for all units for the delivery year ending in September 2021 and is committed to honouring these," a spokesman said.

"We will review the future of that station beyond that date."

EDF ceased generation at its Cottam coal plant in September 2019 and is currently decommissioning the site.

On February 27, Drax said it would cease commercial coal generation at its remaining two 660 MW coal units in Selby, north Yorkshire March 31, 2021, with formal closures September 2022 after capacity market contracts expire.

The only other operational coal units in the UK are SSE's 2 GW Ratcliffe on Soar plant in Nottinghamshire, and EPH's 520 MW Kilroot plant in Northern Ireland.

"I think it unlikely West Burton A would be successful in a T-1 auction for 2021/22, making EDF's other option to secondary-trade a contract from another participant, which they've done before for contracts held for this year," said S&P Global Platts Analytics' energy analyst Andy Tolley-Smith.