Damaged Didcot B unit returns at 50 per cent capacity after fire

The damaged Didcot B unit has resumed generation at 50 per cent capacity after it was hit by a major fire just nine days ago.

Operator RWE said in a statement that the 750MW Module 5 of the gas-fired power plant sustained damage to its cooling tower structure in last week’s blaze but has now returned to service at half its usual rate.

“It’s good news that Module 5 is back online so quickly. It will be available to generate power this winter and essential repairs will be in the region of single digit million pounds,” said RWE’s head of hard coal and gas Roger Miesen.

Module 6 of the plant continued to operate at full capacity with no disruption to its planned electricity supplies, RWE said.

The partial unit return comes just one day after National Grid forecast winter supply margins at their tightest in the last seven years after a string of outages cut the UK’s already dwindling supply.

Further generation returns are expected through November, according to the winter outlook report. SSE has confirmed the return of one of the two fired-damaged Ferrybridge units to service by the November and EDF has confirmed that one unit at Heysham and one unit at Hartlepool will also return at the beginning of next month, with Hartlepool 1 returning at the end of November.

The remaining Heysham unit will not return until the end of the year, and will return at approximately 20 per cent reduction in capacity, National Grid confirmed.

RWE said the investigations continue into the root cause of the Didcot fire.