Operations begin at King's Lynn Power Station

Lynn Power Station has started commercial operations following the successful completion of a redevelopment project lasting nearly three years.

Commissioning of Centrica's 386MW gas fired power station drew to a close yesterday marking the culmination of work since the start of construction in 2017.

The project breathed new life into the site, which was originally commissioned in 1997 but mothballed in 2012 when the plant became too uneconomic to run.

The redevelopment included the installation of a new gas turbine and the refurbishment of the power station. Since the work was commissioned it has created 35 permanent roles at the site.

Adam Kennard, site generation manager at Centrica, said: “Commissioning is the final milestone in the completion of a project, so it’s a great achievement for the team.

“We are very pleased with the technical performance of the plant which has exceeded design targets.”

Jorge Pikunic, managing director of Centrica Business Solutions, said: “I’d like to congratulate everyone involved with the King’s Lynn project. This is an excellent example of our team’s ability to deliver complex engineering projects with high quality results.

“The speed and flexibility of King’s Lynn supports the transition to a renewable led energy system, helping balance the grid during gaps in generation caused by the intermittency of renewables. It does so as efficiently as possible which is vital as we transition to a low carbon energy system.”

Wesley Tivnen, managing director Power Generation Siemens Gas and Power said: “We’re delighted to see the King’s Lynn plant back up and running following significant redevelopment. The upgraded plant will deliver cleaner, reliable energy thereby supporting the transition to a low carbon future.”

The Lynn station is capable of producing enough power to meet the needs of 400,000 households, almost all the homes in Norfolk.

The project was developed by Centrica in partnership with Siemens.