Coal Trains Into Liverpool Docks?

[hstmatt]

Hello,
I live quite close to Huyton and Broad Green, and have been wondering what has happened to the DBS Coal trains that work into Liverpool Docks? It was a nice change to get a Class 60 through the local, but I haven't seen it run since last year, and it doesn't seem to appear on RTT.
Anyone know whats happening?
Cheers
Matt

 

[Freightmaster]

Coal traffic from Liverpool has ceased I'm afraid, due to the huge downturn
in power station coal requirements over the past year or so.


MARK

 

[Jamesb1974]

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[Bevan Price]

SSE failed to get one of the latest contracts for supply of electricity - see:

http://sse.com/newsandviews/allarti...-capacity-market-auction-provisional-results/

Even before that, it had been buying coal from suppliers who used locations like Hunterston, Immingham or Portbury, rather than Liverpool.

 

[55z]

Besides the UK govrnment being anti coal and pro power cuts (hopefully to Whitehall first) Fiddlers Ferry has a huge stockpile of coal and also owned by SSE is Ferrybridge where the coal fired power plant is due to close and the coal stockpile will be sent to Fidders Ferry or sold on to othr power plants.

 

[Jamesb1974]

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[Bungle965]

I passed by last week and 'the black mountain' certainly wasn't as big as I've seen it in the past. Despite the Government being anti coal, the coal fired plants aren't going to disappear overnight, mainly because we don't seem to have any eco friendly alternatives right now. I can see some limited coal flows coming back, even if it is just to shift the stuff from the likes to Ferrybridge to Fidlers or similar locations.

Correct me if i am wrong, bit are they not moving away from coal and onto burning something like biomass, which is seen as being more eco friendly.
Sam

 

[Jamesb1974]

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[Bungle965]

Not all plants are being converted to burn Biomass, no. Besides which, Biomass isn't actually the environmental superman it claims to be. Burning Biomass (waste wood), still emits pollutants. There are many case studies from the US (where they have been using Biomass for a long, long time), some of which point towards burning the 'wrong kind' of Biomass, as being ten times worse than burning coal.

http://bioenergytalk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/is-biomass-environmentally-friendly.html

http://ecowatch.com/2014/04/04/biomass-electricity-more-polluting-coal/

http://www.carbonbrief.org/is-burning-wood-for-energy-worse-for-the-climate-than-coal

Intresting thanks for clarification.
Sam

 

[Jamesb1974]

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[8A Rail]

Only just seen this thread, so forgive me for late response.

First see this publicity release from SSE owners of Fidlers Ferry PS. Partial closure from April is proposed (http://sse.com/newsandviews/allarti...-future-of-sses-fiddlers-ferry-power-station/)

Coal trains from LBT finished on 5th May 2015 but it was intended to temporary restart temporary Autumn 2015 until end of year and then that was going to be it. However, "other" factors took over and no coal trains operated what so ever. To complete the picture, EOn who had the lease on Liverpool Bulk Terminal returned it back to Peel Ports at the end of last year too.

For info, the final Class 60 hauled LBT - FFPS loaded coal train was on Wednesday, 29th April 2015 hauled by 60011 on 6F84 16.55hrs LBT to FFPS.

Currently, Peel Ports are maintaining the Bulk Terminal (dont get confused with the new Biomass Terminal) and did temporary closed it. However, I understand it has come back into life recently for Biomass trains but that is all the information I have at moment. HTH.

 

[Jamesb1974]

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