Ferrybridge Power Station September 2025

FERRYBRIDGE NEXT GENERATION POWER STATIO

Notice of proposed application for a development consent order pursuant to the Planning Act 2008 for the Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station 

The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 - Regulation 4 (as amended)

The Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 - Regulation 13

Consultation Extension

1. Notice is hereby given in accordance with section 48 of the Planning Act 2008 (the 'PA 2008’) that SSE Hydrogen Developments Limited (the ‘Applicant’), whose registered office is No. 1 Forbury Place, 43 Forbury Road, Reading, England, RG1 3JH, is proposing to submit an application to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (the ‘SoS') for a Development Consent Order (‘DCO’) pursuant to section 37 of the PA 2008 to authorise the construction, operation and maintenance of an up to two gas turbine (‘GT’) unit generating station with a combined capacity of up to 1.2 gigawatts (‘GW’) electrical output, together with a natural gas pipeline connection, above ground installation (‘AGI’) and other associated development (the 'Proposed Development'). The Proposed Development will be known as Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station and is also referred to in this notice as the ‘Proposed Development’.

SSE Hydrogen Developments Limited is extending the statutory consultation period for Ferrybridge Next Generation Power Station. The deadline for feedback has been extended to 11.59pm on Sunday 19 October 2025. The new close date of 19 October replaces the previous statutory consultation period close date of Monday 6 October. The statutory consultation period opened on Friday 5 September 2025.  

The extension follows the identification that a small number of Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEI Report) appendices, figure documents and its non-technical summary were not available on the PEI Report webpage, hosted and accessed through the project website at www.ssethermal.com/FBNG. Access to all PEI Report documents, via the project website, was corrected on Monday 15th September 2025.

Please note, this notice is otherwise an exact replica of the original that was published.

2. The Proposed Development would be located on land at, and in the vicinity of, the former Ferrybridge Power Station, Kirkhaw Lane, Knottingley, West Yorkshire – within the administrative area of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council (‘WMDC’) at Easting: 447642, Northing: 424655 (‘the Main Site’), and a land corridor extending eastwards beneath the River Aire and into the administrative area of North Yorkshire Council (‘NYC’) (‘the Site’) terminating at Pale Lane to the south of Gateforth. In total the Site extends to approximately 698.5 hectares.

3. The Proposed Development will consist of up to two GT units arranged in either open or combined cycle configurations, or a combination, depending on market requirements, and associated infrastructure. The Proposed Development will be designed to run on 100% hydrogen. However, it is currently anticipated that the hydrogen supply chain may not be available at the start of operation, in which case the Proposed Development would also need to be able to operate using 100% natural gas or a blend of hydrogen and natural gas. This scenario would be required until such time as a technically and commercially viable hydrogen supply chain option becomes available to the Site.

4. Gas will be transported from the Gas Transmission System to the Main Site via a gas pipeline connection corridor extending into North Yorkshire. The Proposed Pipeline Corridor comprises two route options for where the pipeline may be located to transport gas from the Gas Transmission System to the Main Site. Only one corridor would be developed, and the resultant underground gas pipeline connection is expected to be approximately 9 to 10km in total length.

5. The Proposed Development is anticipated to consist of up to two GT units fuelled by hydrogen fuel with a combined capacity of up to 1.2 GW electrical output. The main parts are described below: 

• Main Site (at Ferrybridge) - the area where the generating station infrastructure will be located and supporting facilities;

• Proposed Pipeline Corridors - connecting the Main Site to the existing Feeder 29 on the Gas Transmission System, for the  supply of gas to fuel the power station. Two corridors are  currently under consideration, referred to as the Northern Pipeline Corridor and the Southern Pipeline Corridor. Only one  corridor would be developed and the resultant underground gas  pipeline connection is expected to be approximately 9 to 10km in  total length;

• Above Ground Installations (AGIs) including one AGI located at  the point of connection with the National Gas Transmission  System at Gateforth and up to two on-site AGIs to receive  hydrogen gas;

• Water Connection Corridors;

• Electrical Connection Corridors - to connect the Proposed  Development to the adjacent existing Ferrybridge 275kV  substation; and

• Construction laydown areas.

6. The DCO will also seek, if required, the compulsory acquisition of land and/or rights in, on, under or over land required for the Proposed Development and the temporary occupation of land for the Proposed Development. 

7. Other powers that the DCO would seek, if required, include the extinguishment and/or overriding of easements and other rights over or affecting land required for the Proposed Development; the application and/or disapplication of legislation relevant to the Proposed Development; tree and hedgerow removal; the temporary stopping up or diversion of public footpaths during construction works; the permanent and temporary alterations to the highway network for and in the vicinity of the Project Site, and such ancillary, incidental and consequential works, provisions, permits, consents, waivers or releases as are necessary and convenient for the successful construction, operation and maintenance of the Proposed Development.

8. The Proposed Development is an ‘EIA development’ for the purposes of The Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (the ‘EIA Regulations’). The Applicant has notified the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the SoS in writing pursuant to Regulation 8(1)(b) of the EIA Regulations that it intends to provide an Environmental Statement (‘ES’) in respect of the Proposed Development as part of the proposed application.

9. Information so far compiled about the Proposed Development’s environmental impacts is contained in a Preliminary Environmental Information Report (‘PEIR’) and summarised in a Non-Technical Summary. This document and other documents relating to the Proposed Development, including plans and maps showing the nature and location of the Proposed Development (‘the Consultation Documents’), were available to view or download free of charge from the document library on the Project website www.ssethermal.com/FBNG from 5 September 2025. 

10. If you have any questions or queries in relation to the Consultation Documents, please telephone: 0800 211 8028 (24hr voicemail service) or email: FBNG@sse.com. You can request a paper copy of the Consultation Documents free of charge (with the exception of the full PEIR which will be charged at 50p per page to a maximum of £500). Please allow a week for receipt of any paper copies of documents.

11. The Consultation Documents can also be inspected free of charge at locations set out below:

The Consultation Documents are available at the above locations from Friday 5 September 2025 to Sunday 19 October 2025.

Responding to this notice

12. If you wish to respond to this consultation or make comments or representations in respect of the Proposed Development, these should be sent to the Applicant in writing. The feedback form outlines topics where feedback is requested, but consultees are welcome to give feedback on any aspect of the Project. Comments and representations may be submitted in the following ways:

Feedback Form: at the Project Website (www.ssethermal.com/FBNG). Email: FBNG@sse.com Post: FREEPOST FBNG

If you have any problems accessing information please leave us a message on 0800 211 8028.

13. Consultation responses will be reviewed and taken into consideration by the Applicant and may be published in anonymised form as part of our Consultation Report. We are committed to protecting your personal data in line with applicable data protection legislation. For more information about how we handle your personal data, please review our privacy notice at https://www.ssethermal.com/privacy-notice/.

14. Please note that all comments and representations must be received by the Applicant no later than 11.59pm on Sunday 19 October 2025. 

SSE Hydrogen Developments Limited 

September 2025