Like many other power stations around the country, Kingsnorth's closure is a result of the EU's Large Combustion Plant Directive legislation which requires it to close after generating for 20,000 hours from 1 January 2008 or at the end of 2015, whichever comes first.
The 1,940MW coal-fired power station, originally commissioned in 1970, will have reached the end of its allocated running hours by March next year and will be taken off-line.
Dr Tony Cocker, CEO of E.ON UK, said: "Kingsnorth has played a huge part in powering the country for many decades. I want to pay tribute to the thousands of men and women who have worked at the station over its lifetime, bringing light and warmth to the homes and businesses of the UK.
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"We've been working hard with colleagues at the station to help, guide and support them through the process which will be ongoing until the station closes. In addition to our colleagues we will be communicating with the local community in the coming weeks about our closure plans."
Last year E.ON's super efficient gas-fired combined heat and power plant on the Isle of Grain began full operations and the company is also investing in a number of renewable projects including the London Array offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary.
Alongside the closure of the current Kingsnorth plant, E.ON is withdrawing its application for development consent for two new coal units, which would be fitted with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, at the site.
Kingsnorth was one of two schemes shortlisted as part of the Government's competition to build the UK's first commercial CCS scheme. But, with the market still not conducive to building the 1,600MW supercritical power station, it became clear the development could not be completed within the Government's timetable so E.ON announced in October 2010 that it would not proceed to the next stage of the competition.
Dr Cocker added: "Our announcement does not rule out future power generation on the site, which remains an excellent location for a new plant given its proximity to demand in the south-east, but the original plans are no longer appropriate."
(CD/GK)
