As the UK transitions away from coal-fired energy, many of its iconic power stations—including Ratcliffe-on-Soar—have reached the end of their operational lives. Ratcliffe officially closed in September 2024, and its towering cooling structures are expected to be decommissioned and demolished in the coming years. Yet these monumental feats of engineering deserve recognition—not just for their scale, but for the complex access challenges they presented throughout their service.

At Apollo Cradles, we believe it’s important to showcase these structures and the ingenuity required to maintain them. Cooling towers like those at Ratcliffe were giants on the landscape, embracing cutting-edge technologies of their time and serving millions of homes across the UK. Their sheer size and geometry posed significant challenges for inspection, maintenance, and upgrade works—both internally and externally.

Apollo has worked on numerous power stations across the UK including Ratcliffe a number of times, designing bespoke access solutions for cooling towers, chimneys, and high-rise industrial structures. From suspended platforms to custom-engineered cradle systems, we’ve enabled safe, compliant access in some of the most demanding environments. As the photos show, access was achieved in locations that would otherwise be unreachable.

While the era of coal may be drawing to a close, the principles behind our work remain vital. New and existing chimneys, flue stacks, and tall industrial towers continue to require specialist access—often with even greater complexity due to modern design constraints or environmental regulations.

So whether you’re managing legacy infrastructure or tackling a new challenge, Apollo is here to help. If you have an access problem, we’d be more than happy to assist.

Suspended cradles deployed for concrete repairs and refurbishment works on the external faces of cooling towers. Access to the work zone is facilitated via a circular platform installed at the top of each tower.

Apollo is responsible for the full design and structural calculations of the working platform and suspended access system. This includes bespoke engineering to ensure safe, compliant, and efficient access to the hyperboloid surfaces of the cooling towers.