Opening in 1959 Uskmouth B is one of the UK’s oldest remaining coal-fired power station. The station was also described as the UK’s least efficient plant before it was closed pending a conversion to biomass in 2015.

The power station is a fantastic example of 1950s architecture. The main buildings are brick, the use of which was phased out shortly after construction in favour of metal-clad steel structures. The station’s single stack is one of the finest remaining fluted chimneys in the UK.

The power station originally had three English Electric generating sets, producing a total of 363 MW of electricity. The station was commissioned by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), and was handed over to National Power when the electricity industry was privatised in 1990.

The station closed in 1995, and was subsequently purchased by AES in 1998. The station underwent a £120 million refurbishment which was completed by 2001. The refurbishment increased the generating power to 393 MW and new environmental equipment was installed to bring it up to date with legislative requirements.

One of the three 131 MW generators was mothballed in 2013, and a year later the entire power station was closed. The station was subsequently sold with plans to convert the boilers to fire Biomass. Uskmouth B re-opened briefly, still burning coal until an explosion caused extensive damage to the station’s switch house in April 2017. The station did not re-open following the explosion and is now being decommissioned.

Buildings and Plant Detail

Uskmouth Image Gallery

Visit the plant detail pages above to view more images from each area of the power plant

The power station originally had three generating sets, producing a total of 363 MW of electricity. The station underwent a £120 million refurbishment in 2001 which increased the generating power to 393 MW. One of the three 131 MW generators, Unit 15, was mothballed in 2013, and a year later the entire power station was closed. The station was subsequently sold and is undergoing conversion to Biomass.

Uskmouth B Generating Units

List of power generating units at Uskmouth B Power Station:

Turbine Pictures

Boiler Feed Pump Pictures

Ancillary Equipment Pictures

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The coal-fired boilers at Uskmouth B were supplied by Babcock and Wilcox. They are radiant boilers with superheaters and economisers. They have a capacity of 860,000 lb of steam per hour at 1,900 psi.

The pulverised fuel mills were also supplied by Babcock and Wilcox. The coal feeders had been removed from units 13 and 14, but the mothballed unit 15 retained its feeders.

Boiler Photos

Mills and Fuel Delivery Photos

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Uskmouth B has individual control rooms for each unit. Each control room is identical and is located directly between the turbines and boilers of the unit it controls. The main controls remain original, with only a small amount of computerised monitoring added.

Control Room Pictures

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The medical and bathhouse facilities were located in an annex to the rear of the turbine hall. The medical facilities were quite basic, consisting of a single room with examination bed, providing first aid and emergency treatment. The bathhouse contained the showering facilities and lockers for workers. The permit office and staff canteen were also located in this block.

As well as facilities for workers, the power station also had a few other services dotted around the place, including the circulating water (CW) pumps, chemical systems and back-up diesel generators.

Worker Facilities Pictures

Station Services Pictures

Workshop Pictures

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