The Eggborough coal-fired power station, which closed in March, will now be demolished to pave the way for construction to start as early as mid-2019, creating up to 1,200 construction jobs.

Central European energy group EPH is developing the new power station.

James Crankshaw, head of engineering at its subsidiary EPUKI, said: “We are delighted with the Secretary of State’s decision to grant consent. Eggborough has been a significant part of the UK energy landscape for over 40 years and this consent provides an opportunity for the site to continue to play a key role in both the local economy and in the security of electricity supplies nationally.”

In addition to three combined cycle gas turbine units, the new power station will include a gas-fired peaking plant of up to 299 MW, a  new underground gas pipeline will be constructed to connect the power station to the UK’s natural gas transmission network.

There will also be an electrical connection to the existing substation located at the coal-fired power station site and water supply connections.