Three of the six 100-metre tall Didcot A cooling towers have been demolished.

The closure and demolition of the power station reflects the changing shape of power generation in the UK, with modern, low carbon power generation replacing older, less efficient power stations.

Kevin Nix, Head of RWE Generation UK, said: "I am very pleased that the technically challenging demolition of the southern cooling towers has been carried out successfully and above all with the safety of all those involved, including the local community, as its highest priority. This is entirely due to months of pre-planning and the professionalism of the specialist teams involved."

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RWE has invested more than £6bn in the UK in new renewable technologies and state-of-the-art gas-fired power stations, which will continue to help keep the lights on whilst dramatically reducing environmental emissions.

Its specialist teams and contractors, Coleman & Company, will now continue their work to ensure that the demolition of the rest of the site, including the northern cooling towers and the chimney stack, is safely completed by the end of 2016.

RWE's gas-fired power station, Didcot B, will continue to play a role in the local landscape of Didcot and will mean that Didcot will remain a centre of electricity generation for many years to come. The demolition of Didcot A Power Station will have minimal impact on Didcot B power station, a modern, efficient 1,400MW combined cycle gas turbine power station that provides enough power to meet the needs of around one million households.

(CD/JP)