Cooling towers demolition is a Guinness World Record

The landscape of North Nottinghamshire is forever changed following the successful demolition of eight giant cooling towers at Cottam power station on August 14.

Cottam power station was a former coal fired power station in Nottinghamshire ceasing operations in 2019. At its peak it was capable of generating enough electricity for approximately 3.7 million UK homes and employed 750 people.

The explosive event, a Guinness World Record for the greatest number of cooling towers demolished in one go, was witnessed by former employees of the coal fired power station.

The towers, each measuring 114m (375ft) were brought down in a matter of seconds using half a tonne of explosives. The controlled demolition was carried out by specialist contractors Brown & Mason.

This is the last major milestone in the decommissioning of the plant which operated for 51 years. EDF is currently exploring options for the future use of the site to see how it can be best used to support the UK’s energy needs.

Kieran Green, Decommissioning & Demolition Programme Manager for EDF, explained: “The fact that this is a world record demonstrates the scale of the project, and I would like to thank the team for safely delivering this major milestone. The cooling towers have been a landmark in the region for over half a century and it will feel strange driving into work tomorrow without them on the horizon. The site and the people that worked here served the country well and I am hopeful we can continue that legacy.”

Rachael Glaving, UK Business Development Director for EDF, added: “Cottam has made a massive contribution to the UK, and we believe the site has huge potential for further development. We are exploring plenty of options which would bring significant opportunities to the area.”