RWE’s Pembroke Power Station has logged its 10,000th start of a combined cycle gas turbine, a marker of how the site is now operating in a power system shaped by variable renewables, rather than steady baseload demand.
Opened in 2011, the 2.2GW plant was originally built for near-continuous running but now operates all five units across multi-shift patterns, starting and stopping to match swings in wind and solar output and to help balance the grid.
Operational changes over the past decade have materially altered how the station runs.
Start-up times have been cut from around 70 minutes to 41 minutes and all five units have completed multiple major maintenance cycles, including through the Covid-19 period.
Gas-fired power remains a key source of firm capacity as renewable generation increases. While wind and solar are expected to supply most electricity in a decarbonised system, gas plants continue to provide fast response when output drops or when the system needs rapid balancing.
Roland Long, Pembroke Power Station Manager, said: “Reaching 10,000 unit starts is a proud moment for everyone at Pembroke. It highlights not just our operational capability but the vital contribution that flexible gas generation makes to the UK’s energy system.”
The milestone comes as policymakers and system operators focus on flexibility as a core requirement of the future grid, with gas plants expected to play a back-up role alongside storage and demand-side response for much of the 2020s and beyond.
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