The Anonymous Widower

Consultation Opens For Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SSE.

These three bullet points act as sub-headings.

• Ferrybridge Next Generation sets out plans for continuing the legacy of power generation at the site, with the potential to bring significant investment to the region.   
• Statutory consultation phase launched, inviting communities and stakeholders to have their say on project proposals. 
• Hydrogen-enabled project could support the security of supply and offer a clear route to decarbonisation. 

These three paragraphs add more detail.

Members of the public are being invited to have their say on plans for a proposed new power station in development, Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station.

The station is being designed so that it can run on hydrogen, as a lower-carbon alternative to natural gas. It would also be able to operate using natural gas or a blend of hydrogen and natural gas until a technically and commercially viable hydrogen supply becomes available to the site.

With a proposed capacity of up to 1.2GW, Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station could play an important role in supporting the UK’s energy system in the short term – providing reliable flexible back-up power during periods of peak demand and balancing the system when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine, while delivering a route to decarbonised power generation in the longer term.

Note.

1. A 150 MW/300 MWh Battery Electric Storage System is being developed on the site, which I wrote about in SSE Renewables Announces Construction Of Second Utility-Scale Battery Storage System.
2. The last Ferrybridge power station; C had a capacity of just over 2 GW.
3. This will be SSE Renewable’s second hydrogen-fired power station after Keadby, which I wrote about in Consultation On Plans For Keadby Hydrogen Power Station To Begin.
4. As the press releases says, Ferrybridge Hydrogen-Fired Power Station will be West Yorkshire’s backup for when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.

How similar will the two hydrogen-fired power stations be?

Will SSE Be Building Any More In The First Wave Of Hydrogen-Fired Power Station?

This is a paragraph from SSE’s press release.

The station is being designed so that it can run on hydrogen, as a lower-carbon alternative to natural gas. It would also be able to operate using natural gas or a blend of hydrogen and natural gas until a technically and commercially viable hydrogen supply becomes available to the site.

It would appear that the availability of the hydrogen fuel may be a problem.

But places like Aberdeen, Bradford, Brighton, Humberside and Merseyside, do seem to be planning for hydrogen, so all is not lost.

September 16, 2025 - Posted by AnonW | Design, Energy, Energy Storage, Hydrogen | Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Ferrybridge Hydrogen Power Station, Ferrybridge Power Station, Hydrogen Blend, Hydrogen-Fired Power Station, Keadby Hydrogen Power Station, Natural Gas, SSE, SSE Renewables, SSE Thermal