CardiffWalesMap

It's been confirmed that Aberthaw power station is to close next year.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/aberthaw-power-station-close-coal-16679614

This has to be the largest brownfield site to be created in Wales for some time. I should imagine that there'll be a lot of decontamination work to be done but with the site sitting on the VoG railway line this could be Rhoose Point on steroids when it comes to housebuilding!

It's always struck me as odd that Aberthaw station wasn't reopened when passenger services were introduced through the Vale. The site is vacant though so it could easily be done.

That site will take years to clean up. If the cement works isn't closing does that reduce the attractiveness of the site to developers?

On the plus side, this completely kills off what's left of the opencast coal industry in South Wales.

It probably means the closure of the cement works. Cement is a very very energy intensive thing to make and it may have to move to be closer to a power station (which often allows it to negotiate cheaper electricity).

Does the cement works get its power from Aberthaw? I thought the power station had been a 'standby only' power station for at least a couple of years i.e. only producing power in peak periods. IIRC decommissioning has of the site has been also been on going there for at least a couple of years.