Situated on the Milford Haven Waterway in southwest Wales, Pembroke Power Station has long played a vital role in the UK’s energy story — with two very different chapters marking its place in industrial history.
⚙️ The Original Power Station (1968–2000)
The first Pembroke Power Station was a coal-fired facility, opened in 1968 by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). Built on the site of the former Royal Navy Dockyard in Pembroke Dock, the station consisted of five 400 MW units, making it one of the largest power stations in Wales at the time.
It was a significant employer in the area and a visible symbol of post-war industrial expansion. With its towering chimneys and proximity to the deep-water port, Pembroke Power Station embodied Britain’s reliance on coal-fired energy — though it also sparked concerns over emissions and its environmental impact on the surrounding natural landscape, including the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
After over 30 years of operation, the original station was decommissioned in 2000 and subsequently demolished, closing a chapter on Wales’s coal-powered infrastructure.
🔁 The Modern Gas-Fired Station (2012–present)
A new chapter began in 2012 with the opening of a modern gas-fired power station on the same site. Developed by RWE Generation, the new facility was (at the time) the largest gas-fired power station in Europe, with a capacity of 2,200 megawatts — enough to power around 4 million homes.
Unlike its coal-burning predecessor, the new Pembroke Power Station was built with efficiency and environmental compliance in mind. However, it still attracted criticism from environmental groups due to the continued use of fossil fuels and its once-through cooling system, which draws seawater from the Milford Haven estuary — raising concerns about the impact on marine life.
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