Thanks Mr Putin: coal keeps the lights on across Europe

            In the last moments of daylight on 4th November 2022, Freightliner’s 66956 eases away from West Burton A power station in Lincolnshire with empty coal hoppers.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the subsequent sanctioning of Russian coal, and restrictions in the supply of Russian gas have caused economic shock across Europe.

To supply the continent’s energy needs, domestic coal production has increased, and old coal fired power stations have been reactivated.

2,100 km from Kyiv, Mr Putin’s invasion has even impacted remote, rural Lincolnshire. One 550mw generating set at the 55 year old West Burton A power station has been reactivated, ready for use when cold weather returns in the winter.

To build up stocks, in late September 2022 trains of imported coal started running into the reactivated West Burton and Drax power stations.   

Here at West Burton, unloading was complicated by the previous demolition of the coal handling plant, with unloading now using temporary conveyers being bought on site.

Coal for West Burton was being railed from Immingham, with (reports suggest), 130,000 tonnes of South African coal being stockpiled.    

if the coal is South African, it was won from mines in Mpumalanga province, railed approximately 400 km  to Richards Bay,  shipped 15,000 km along the west coast of Africa and the Bay of Biscay to Immingham, for its final 100km journey to the power station.

Taken in: UK / England / Bassetlaw / South Wheatley (show map)

Taken on: November 4, 2022

Sets appears in: • From 2022: Trains in the British Landscape

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Camera: Nikon D800, f/8.0, 1/250 sec, 102mm, ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D800
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.004 sec (1/250)
Focal Length:	102mm
ISO:	800
Exposure Bias:	+1/3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Shutter speed priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	Low gain up
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 14.0 (Windows)
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