History
Uskmouth Power Station B is a coal-fired power station that was constructed in the 1960s. Its sister station, Uskmouth A Power Station was built ten years earlier in the 1950s. While site A was demolished in 2002, site B is still reportedly operational and reputed to be one of the cleanest coal-fired stations in the United Kingdom as it is fitted with Flue Gas Desulphurisation equipment and low NOx burners. Essentially, what this means is that the plant can burn biomass as well as coal. In terms of its output, Uskmouth Station B originally had a generating capacity of 363MW, which was apparently enough to power 360,000 homes. Its generating capacity was later increased to 393MW.
Initially, Uskmouth Power Station was operated by the Central Electricity Generating Board. However, due to privatisation operations were handed over to National Power in the 1990s. Subsequently, the station was closed in 1995 and later purchased by AES who gave it a £120 million refurbishment which was said to have extended its life by twenty-five years. Despite the renovation work, the power plant operated only for a brief period before it was closed once again. Thereafter, the station was passed between various companies and gradually sections of it have been shut down and its overall generating capacity reduced to 260MW.
According to several recent sources, Uskmouth Station was due to be converted into a biomass plant. However, a close inspection of the facility reveals that no such work has been undertaken. Instead, the plant seems to remain, for the most part, the same as it always has, despite having had £120 million invested in it back in the late 1990s. What is known is that approximately forty people still work at the plant and looks ready to turn back on at any moment. As Maniac pointed out in his report, we will have to wait and see what the future holds for this station.
Our Version of Events
After receiving a quick message off Slayaaaa, inviting us for a ‘quick drive down the road’ with Maniac, we were sold. Before we knew it, we were cruising our way down the motorway for the next three hours.
We arrived in Newport and were greeted by soft raindrops glistening beneath the street lamps. It was quite pleasant. However, the very moment we decided to head over to Uskmouth Power station, those speckles of rain quickly turned into the great Welsh downpour of 2017. Yet, despite the shitty weather, the tall chimneys in the distance gave us all that familiar urbex tingle so we pressed on.
We sort of knew what we were dealing with from the offset: secca, patrols and workers driving to a nearby fully functioning power station. We did also encounter a few additional natural obstacles before getting onto the site, but in hindsight they should have been expected given the station’s location.
Access was interesting… As hinted by Maniac, getting coated in coal dust was both essential and unavoidable. Nevertheless, it was completely worth it because we quickly found ourselves inside the decaying power plant that is Uskmouth B. From the moment we got inside we cracked on with the task of taking snaps, only pausing now and again to wipe the black dust off our faces as best as we could manage.
All in all, then, Uskmouth was quite an awe-inspiring place, especially the architectural layout of the coal conveyor building. Elsewhere in the plant humming noises could be heard, alongside occasional low rumbles that made it seem as though the plant was ready to start up again. The building was incredibly photogenic and, as the snaps reveal, it has amazing control rooms. It was a wee bit sketchy when we ventured onto the offices and administration sections of the site, but it turned out to be a great place to hang out for a cup of tea.
After the cuppa, we gathered a few more snaps and decided to bid the beast farewell and goodnight. With a few dodges and dives we were soon back outside in the main compound area, once again standing in the pissing rain. Fuck it we thought, and ran ignoring any cars driving by. We were out. Me and Maniac parted ways. I whistled for a cab and when it came near the license plate said ‘Fresh’ and it had dice in the mirror. If anything, I could say that this cab was rare but I thought ‘Nah, forget it, yo holmes, to Bel-Air!’
Explored with Ford Mayhem, Slayaaaa and Maniac.
Uskmouth Power Station B is a coal-fired power station that was constructed in the 1960s. Its sister station, Uskmouth A Power Station was built ten years earlier in the 1950s. While site A was demolished in 2002, site B is still reportedly operational and reputed to be one of the cleanest coal-fired stations in the United Kingdom as it is fitted with Flue Gas Desulphurisation equipment and low NOx burners. Essentially, what this means is that the plant can burn biomass as well as coal. In terms of its output, Uskmouth Station B originally had a generating capacity of 363MW, which was apparently enough to power 360,000 homes. Its generating capacity was later increased to 393MW.
Initially, Uskmouth Power Station was operated by the Central Electricity Generating Board. However, due to privatisation operations were handed over to National Power in the 1990s. Subsequently, the station was closed in 1995 and later purchased by AES who gave it a £120 million refurbishment which was said to have extended its life by twenty-five years. Despite the renovation work, the power plant operated only for a brief period before it was closed once again. Thereafter, the station was passed between various companies and gradually sections of it have been shut down and its overall generating capacity reduced to 260MW.
According to several recent sources, Uskmouth Station was due to be converted into a biomass plant. However, a close inspection of the facility reveals that no such work has been undertaken. Instead, the plant seems to remain, for the most part, the same as it always has, despite having had £120 million invested in it back in the late 1990s. What is known is that approximately forty people still work at the plant and looks ready to turn back on at any moment. As Maniac pointed out in his report, we will have to wait and see what the future holds for this station.
Our Version of Events
After receiving a quick message off Slayaaaa, inviting us for a ‘quick drive down the road’ with Maniac, we were sold. Before we knew it, we were cruising our way down the motorway for the next three hours.
We arrived in Newport and were greeted by soft raindrops glistening beneath the street lamps. It was quite pleasant. However, the very moment we decided to head over to Uskmouth Power station, those speckles of rain quickly turned into the great Welsh downpour of 2017. Yet, despite the shitty weather, the tall chimneys in the distance gave us all that familiar urbex tingle so we pressed on.
We sort of knew what we were dealing with from the offset: secca, patrols and workers driving to a nearby fully functioning power station. We did also encounter a few additional natural obstacles before getting onto the site, but in hindsight they should have been expected given the station’s location.
Access was interesting… As hinted by Maniac, getting coated in coal dust was both essential and unavoidable. Nevertheless, it was completely worth it because we quickly found ourselves inside the decaying power plant that is Uskmouth B. From the moment we got inside we cracked on with the task of taking snaps, only pausing now and again to wipe the black dust off our faces as best as we could manage.
All in all, then, Uskmouth was quite an awe-inspiring place, especially the architectural layout of the coal conveyor building. Elsewhere in the plant humming noises could be heard, alongside occasional low rumbles that made it seem as though the plant was ready to start up again. The building was incredibly photogenic and, as the snaps reveal, it has amazing control rooms. It was a wee bit sketchy when we ventured onto the offices and administration sections of the site, but it turned out to be a great place to hang out for a cup of tea.
After the cuppa, we gathered a few more snaps and decided to bid the beast farewell and goodnight. With a few dodges and dives we were soon back outside in the main compound area, once again standing in the pissing rain. Fuck it we thought, and ran ignoring any cars driving by. We were out. Me and Maniac parted ways. I whistled for a cab and when it came near the license plate said ‘Fresh’ and it had dice in the mirror. If anything, I could say that this cab was rare but I thought ‘Nah, forget it, yo holmes, to Bel-Air!’
Explored with Ford Mayhem, Slayaaaa and Maniac.
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