 Pulverised Fuel Ash ( PFA ) and Furnace Bottom Ash ( FBA ) were byproducts produced through the burning of coal in the station . Bottom ash was removed from ash hoppers at the bottom of the boilers by high pressure water jets . It then travelled to ash settling ponds via <unk> . For much of the station 's life , the station was served by a series of barges , which took the ash to dump 4 @.@ 8 kilometres ( 3 @.@ 0 mi ) out into the North Sea . Two barges provided this service over the years ; Sir Fon and MVA . The barges were loaded by silos situated at a special dock to the east of the stations . However , dumping in the sea stopped in 1992 when the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships prevented further dumping in the North Sea . From then on FBA was sold to the construction industry , while PFA was either dried for sale , or was disposed of at a licensed landfill on @-@ site . 
