THE removal of the giant Hunterston uploaders has been held back due to weather conditions, the News can reveal.

It has been a laborious process as the southward uploader has been slowly dismantled bit by bit by one of world's biggest cranes, with the other uploader still remaining fully assembled.

It had originally been hoped to have the demolition works completed by the end of 2018.

The jetty head is the largest structure of its kind in Britain and stands over a mile from the shore in 36 metres (118 feet) of water and measures 443 metres (1,453 feet) long.

The uploaders have a height of 72 metres (236 feet) and each weigh 2,500 tonnes, making them among the largest in the world.

When they were in operation, ore and coal could be transferred between ship and shore along an enclosed system of conveyor belts, rated at 6,000 tonnes per hour for ore.

A spokesperson for Peel Ports company said: “The decommissioning activities at Hunterston are scheduled for completion for the third quarter of 2019.

"Dismantling of the cranes is a highly complex task and we want to ensure that it complies to our strict health and safety standards.

"Weather, particularly wind, has held back the progress of works in recent months.

"We are currently awaiting for a road and rail closure order to enable the safe removal of the coal conveyors across the A78 road and the coal handling equipment at the rail head.

"We will advise the local community when we receive these and of road and rail closure orders from the appropriate authorities.”

Photos: Charlie Gilmour.