Ironbridge B Power Station was sought and granted in 1962. Construction began in 1963, with the aim to begin generating electricity in the station in 1967. Due to construction delays, some limited industrial action and the implementation of improvements that had been pioneered during the construction of similar stations using the new 500 MW generating units, Ironbridge B did not begin feeding power into the National Grid until 11 June 1969. Full capacity was not reached until the second 500 MW unit began generating in February 1970. There were 2 × 17.5 MW auxiliary gas turbines on the site, these had been commissioned in August 1967. Ironbridge B Power Station stopped generating electricity on 20 November 2015 when it reached its 20,000 hours limit of generation under a European Union Directive. Design Project architect Alan Clark worked closely with landscape architect Kenneth Booth, to ensure that the station merged as far as possible into its natural surroundings. In this respect, the power station was unique amongst British coal-fired stations. When viewed from Ironbridge, the surroundings of the station are hidden by wooded hills. The cooling towers were deliberately constructed using concrete to which a red pigment had been added, to blend with the colour of the local soil. This had cost £11,000 in the 1960s. The towers could not be seen at all from the world-famous landmark, The Iron Bridge. The station's single high chimney was fifth tallest chimney in the UK. It was the tallest structure in Shropshire, as well as being taller than Blackpool Tower and London's BT Tower. The station's turbine hall is decoratively clad in chipped granite faced concrete panels, aluminium sheeting, and glazing. The turbine hall obscures the rather more functional metal clad boiler house from view. A free-standing administration block continues the theme of concrete panelling, albeit with extensive use of large floor to ceiling windows. Period fittings within the administration block include a board room, containing murals that reference the industries of the Ironbridge Gorge, and a grand entrance hall with a metallic mural. So impressive were the measures taken to ensure that the power station was an asset to the gorge and not an eyesore, that it was short listed for a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors/The Times conservation award in 1973. Specification When fully operational and using 100% coal as a fuel source the power station generated electricity using two 500