Aberthaw Power Station
Aberthaw Power Station shown within the United Kingdom
Biofuel
| Aberthaw Power Station | |
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Aberthaw Power Station shown within the United Kingdom |
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| Operator: | RWE npower |
| Fuel: | Coal-fired Biofuel |
| Commissioned: | 1966 |
Aberthaw Power Station refers to a series of two coal-fired power stations near Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, on the coast of South Wales. Although it shares its name with the village of Aberthaw, it is actually located on the waterfront of the nearby village of Gileston. The current power station on the site, Aberthaw B Power Station, co-fires biomass. As of May 2007, its generating capacity was 1455 megawatts (MW).
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Originally a golf course 100 years before [1], Aberthaw A Power Station opened in February 1966 and was the most advanced power station in the world.[2] The station operated until 1995. It was then demolished, and the last part of it, its two chimneys 425 m (1,390 ft) were demolished on 25 July 1997.[3]
Aberthaw B Power Station opened in the early 1970s. Taking its entire coal feed stock in by rail under contract to EWS from the Vale of Glamorgan Line, until the collieries closure it was in part powered by coal from the Tower Colliery. In response to the government's renewable energy obligation that came into effect in April 2002, the plant is currently firing a range of biomass materials to replace some of the coal burned.Coal is still being taken to the site by rail, the coal originating at Cwmbargoed opencast mine in Merthyr Tydfyl, Tower colliery in Hirwaun(Most coal is now taken to tower for blending and then taken by rail, the site could open up as a opencast) and othe opencasts and mines.
Aberthaw was due for closure, but owner nPower agreed to install new technology to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions by 90% by 2008 [4]. Construction started on 21 June 2006 with a tree-planting ceremony attended by The Welsh Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks, Andrew Davies. The Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) project is being carried out by a consortium of ALSTOM and AMEC, which will employ at peak 500 workers on site at the peak of construction. RWE npower made the decision to fit FGD technology in June 2005, to enable the station to operate under new European environmental regulations from 2008 [5].
It has also recently been proposed that the plant could be replaced by a power station using nuclear power [6].
 Gileston beach looking east. The foreshore of the power station works are shown, while the headland of Somerset can be seen in the distance across the Bristol Channel |
 EWS 66101 waits to enter Aberthaw Power Station. The ash heaps are in the direct background |
 Aberthaw station. Overview as EWS 66101 waits to enter Aberthaw Power Station. The slag heaps are in the direct background |
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