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COAL Β· DECOMMISSIONED

Kilroot Power Station

Northern Ireland's last coal station. Kilroot Power Station is a 520 MW coal-fired power station in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, operated by EP UK Investments.

  • County Antrim
  • Northern Ireland
  • Commissioned 1981
  • Closed 2023
Project stageClosed
  1. Planning (completed)
  2. Consented (completed)
  3. Construction (completed)
  4. Operating1981 (completed)
  5. Closed2023 (current stage)

Key facts

Installed capacity
520 MW
Status
Decommissioned
Technology
Coal
Operator
EP UK Investments
Region
County Antrim
Country
Northern Ireland
Coordinates
54.7281, -5.7481
Commissioned
1981
Closed
2023
Units
2
Unit capacity mw
260
Dual fuel
Coal and oil originally

Location

Map position from the published coordinates. For small sites this can be an approximate point rather than the exact boundary. Map Β© OpenStreetMap contributors.

How Kilroot Power Station compares

17th of 22largest coal-fired stations in the UK register
1.8%of listed UK coal-fired capacity

Coal-fired stations burned coal to raise steam for turbines. Great Britain's last coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, closed in September 2024.

All coal-fired power stations Power stations in County Antrim

About Kilroot Power Station

Kilroot near Carrickfergus was Northern Ireland's last coal-fired power station, running from 1981 to 2023. Being converted to gas.

History

Commissioned in 1981 as a dual-fuel coal/oil station. Because Northern Ireland has a separate electricity market, Kilroot wasn't subject to the UK coal phase-out deadline. Won a capacity market contract in May 2020 to convert to gas by winter 2023. Ceased coal generation September 2023. Now operating as a gas peaking plant and battery storage site.

The site today

Ceased coal generation September 2023. Converted to gas peaking operation and co-located battery storage. EP UK Investments acquired it from AES in 2019.

Did you know?

  • Northern Ireland's last coal station
  • Not covered by UK coal phase-out (separate NI market)
  • Converted to gas and battery storage
  • Adjacent to former Ballylumford oil station

Nearby power stations

Source

Kilroot Power Station.

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