SSE says to keep UK Fiddler's Ferry coal plant open until March 31, 2017
LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - British power firm SSE (LSE: SSE.L - news) will keep its Fiddler's Ferry coal-fired power station near Manchester open until at least March 31, 2017, it said on Wednesday, having previously said it would likely close this year.
The decision was made after the plant secured a contract under a scheme run by National Grid (LSE: NG.L - news) to provide backup power for winter 2016/17.
"Challenging economic and environmental conditions for coal as the UK cleans its electricity mix mean that the longer-term future of the site remains uncertain but we are very pleased to have secured this 12-month contract," Martin Pibworth, Managing Director, Wholesale, for SSE said in a statement. (Reporting By Susanna Twidale, editing by David Evans)