Biffa has removed 450 tonnes of hazardous material from the UK’s last coal-fired power station.
Uniper’s Ratcliffe on Soar power station was closed in September 2024 after generating electricity for UK homes and businesses for almost 60 years.
Since November 2024, a team of more than 20 Biffa specialists, including industrial chemists and dangerous goods safety advisors, has supported the decommissioning of the power station’s water treatment plant and fuel oil system.
Biffa has announced it has reached the halfway point of the 12-month project after removing 450 tonnes of hazardous material, including high-concentration sulphuric acid and fuel oil, as well as effluent and anionic and cationic resins.
Using high-pressure water systems, DISAB vacuum systems and industrial tankers, Biffa says its team often work at height or in confined spaces while wearing breathing equipment to carry out the project.
The next phase of decommissioning work will involve Biffa’s team dismantling and disposing of the power station’s catalyst bed.
Commenting on the announcement, James Bissell, Biffa’s Head of Tankers & Industrial Services, said: “Our expertise in industrial services, hazardous waste management and our commitment to health and safety have been critical in supporting the successful ongoing decommissioning of Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station.
“Rigorous safety protocols, the use of specialist equipment, and the strategic handling of hazardous materials have ensured the highest standards of compliance and environmental protection.”
Biffa previously worked on the decommissioning of Ironbridge Power Station in Shropshire and continues to provide waste management services at the construction site of Hinkley Point C in Somerset.
