RWE’s Pembroke Power Station recently marked 10 years of safe and successful operations.
Staff, past and present, and their families, came together in several events to celebrate this milestone and to hear more about the future decarbonization of the site.
UK’s energy transition
RWE is Wales’ largest energy generator and also the largest renewable generator with 12 sites including onshore and offshore wind, hydro, and the most efficient gas plant in the UK - Pembroke.
The station plays an essential role in supporting the UK’s energy transition as it can flexibly power up and down in response to the availability of renewable power, provides excellent reliability, and is key to ensuring the security of supply across Wales and the UK. Power has been generated at the site since 1968 and today the station can provide energy to around 4 million households boasting an efficiency of 61%.
improving plant performance
RWE has invested millions of pounds in maintaining Pembroke’s position as one of the least CO2-intensive CCGTs in UK
Around 250 people attended over three days for site tours, exhibitions, and children’s entertainment taking time out of the busy working day to enjoy afternoon tea together and talk about both the rich industrial history of the site and area and ambitious future projects.
RWE has invested millions of pounds in major outages to improve the plant performance over recent years, maintaining Pembroke’s position as one of the least CO2-intensive CCGTs in the UK, and is set to further develop options for the decarbonization of the site.
decarbonization hub
Richard Little, who until very recently was the power station manager at Pembroke has taken on a new role as Director of the Pembroke Net Zero Centre (PNZC). This initiative launched in 2022 and is RWE’s UK decarbonization hub, connecting innovative technologies needed for a low-carbon future.
This includes hydrogen production, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and floating offshore wind. Together these technologies will enable RWE’s goal of being carbon neutral by 2040.
maximizing opportunities
To coordinate and maximize the opportunities these technologies offer RWE and Wales, and to collaborate with industrial partners and the Welsh government, the role of the Director has been put in place.
Commenting on the 10th anniversary and his new position Richard Little said, “The Station’s successful 10 years of operations is largely down to the dedication and skill of the team we have at the site."
energy transition
It is vital to deploy decarbonization technologies to ensure cleaner energy"
"The industry has already seen immense change since we began operations, and this station will play a vital role in supporting the energy transition over the coming years. It is vital to deploy decarbonization technologies to ensure cleaner energy and industry in the coming years, as well as help secure skilled jobs for the region."
"My entire focus will now be to ensure the success of the PNZC in support of the South Wales Industrial Cluster and the UK’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050.”
green hydrogen production
PNZC has three distinctive pillars of development and implementation this includes green hydrogen production, floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, and the decarbonization of the Pembroke Power Station itself, including CCS studies and investigations of using hydrogen as a fuel.
RWE is sitting the Net Zero Centre at Pembroke as it has all elements of the energy and industrial carbon trilemma: offshore wind accessibility, land for development of an electrolyzer, grid, and power connections, and a gas power station at the center. The station currently employs around 100 skilled people who live locally, the site is a proud member of the Pembroke business community, regularly participating in local events and supporting local charities.
