Biffa reaches halfway point of hazardous waste removal project at iconic former power station
Biffa has announced a major milestone in its work to help decommission the UK’s last coal-fired power station.
Industrial services experts from Biffa’s Specialist Services division have reached the halfway point of a 12-month project to safely remove hazardous waste from Uniper’s Ratcliffe on Soar power station site near Nottingham.
The iconic power station 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.
Using state-of-the-art high-pressure water systems, DISAB vacuum systems and industrial tankers, the team often work at height or in confined spaces while wearing breathing equipment.
To date, 450 tonnes of hazardous material has been responsibly removed, including high-concentration sulphuric acid and fuel oil, which can be re-used, as well as effluent and anionic and cationic resins.
The next phase of decommissioning work will see the Biffa team dismantle and dispose of the power station’s catalyst bed.
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.
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.
From decommissioning the UK’s old power stations to supporting the construction of its newest nuclear plant, Biffa is playing a critical role in the UK’s journey to net-zero.
