MEP questions Ironbridge Power Station closure

But Ukip West Midlands MEP Jill Seymour has questioned the decision to shut the station at a time when UK electricity supplies are predicted to be at their tightest levels in more than a decade.

Mrs Seymour, said: "The Government wants to replace our ageing power stations with gas and, on the face of it, this does look like an outbreak of common sense.

"But what exactly are Energy Secretary Amber Rudd's plans for sourcing this gas?

"Is she proposing an ever greater dependence on politically unstable sources like Russia? Or does she now have a practical plan to exploit indigenous gas resources, which she has yet to share?

"At a time when the National Grid is having to call on emergency diesel generation, and looking at asking factories to stop production at peak times, it is perverse to be pressing ahead with the closure of plants such as Ironbridge which reduces our generating capacity.

"In stark contrast, and despite the EU directive, Germany is currently building or refurbishing around 20 coal-fired plants.

"The UK Government needs to explain why it feels the need to close perfectly good power generating plants when other EU member-states are building them.

"And since coal and biomass-fired plants currently provide about a quarter of the UK's electricity, it is no wonder we are hearing growing concerns that the UK could suffer from blackouts as a result of short supplies.

"If the Government is found to have created a big problem, before having a workable solution in place, serious questions must be asked. Because, as ever, it is innocent families who will be paying the price."

The closure of the power station is required by the EU's Large Combustion Plant Directive.

The station will end its life after passing the milestone of generating power for a total of 20,000 hours since January 1, 2008.

It was revealed last Friday by plant manager Mike Wake that the station, run by E.on, had about 70 hours left to go.

Currently there are around 130 workers on site, and only a small team of 14 will be kept on after the shutdown to oversee a 15-month period of the decommissioning of the plant.

This week the Government announced a plan to close all polluting coal-fired power stations by 2025, making the UK the first major country to end use of the fossil fuel.