Eight cooling towers disappear in “matter of seconds” in stunning coal plant demolition

The eight giant cooling towers of a shuttered UK coal fired power generator have been demolished “in a matter of seconds using half a tonne of explosives,” marking the last major milestone in the plant’s decommissioning process.

The Cottam Power Station in Nottinghamshire was shut down by its owner, EDF, in 2019 after 51 years in operation. At its peak it was capable of generating enough electricity for approximately 3.7 million UK homes and employed 750 people.

Last week’s controlled demolition of the plant’s eight towers, each standing 114 metres tall, was carried out by specialist contractors Brown and Mason Group Limited and witnessed by former employees of the coal plant.

As well as changing the landscape of North Nottinghamshire, the “explosive event” – well worth watching in the video below or on LinkedIn here – set a Guinness World Record for the greatest number of cooling towers demolished in one go.

“The fact that this is a world record demonstrates the scale of the project, and I would like to thank the team for safely delivering this major milestone,” EDF decommissioning and demolition program manager Kieran Green said last week. 

“The cooling towers have been a landmark in the region for over half a century and it will feel strange driving into work tomorrow without them on the horizon.

“The site and the people that worked here served the country well and I am hopeful we can continue that legacy.”

The spectacular demolition follows the closure of the last coal-fired power station in the UK on September 30, 2024, which marked the end of 142 years of coal-fired electricity generation in the UK.

The Ratcliffe-on-Soar power plant, also located in Nottinghamshire and operated by German energy company Uniper, also features eight huge cooling towers which are now likely to meet a similar fate to the Cottam towers.

Having completed the last major step in the decommissioning of the Cottam plant, EDF says it is currently exploring options for the future use of the site, including how it can be used to support the UK’s energy needs.

“Cottam has made a massive contribution to the UK, and we believe the site has huge potential for further development,” said EDF UK business development director Rachael Glaving.

“We are exploring plenty of options which would bring significant opportunities to the area.”