Long-time workers are reflecting on the demolition of the turbine hall and deaerator bays at the Aberthaw Power Station, which took place on June 12 as part of a long-term regeneration project.
Brian Harries, who worked at the site for nearly four decades, said: “It was a sad day to see the Aberthaw stack come down.
“I started working there in 1978 – there were over a thousand people working down there at the time.
“I started being part of a cleaning gang & ended up as a Controller on the Coal handling plant.”
The demolition was part of a scheme led by CCR Energy Ltd, established by the Cardiff Capital Region.
Mr Harries recalled the camaraderie and dedication of the Aberthaw workforce.
He said: “The guys there gave 110 per cent because they cared about the place.
“Everyone knew each other by name and everyone was approachable.
“It was a privilege to work down there just short of 39 years.
“It was a company that cared about it’s workforce and went above and beyond if you were ill or had difficulties.”
Justin Griffiths, another former employee, helps to organise a ‘breakfast club’ for the dozens of former employees who still live around the Vale. He told the Barry and District News that he had hoped long-serving staff could play a direct role in the demolition.
He said: “My intention from the start was to have the few staff who served over 40 years at the station to ‘press the button’ who more deserves that privilege?
“CCR agreed with this, but it became apparent there was only going to be seven people on the Aberthaw site at the time of demolition, and for safety reason this would not be possible.
“This then turned into trying to arrange a safe location for staff to view this demolition in close proximity to the stack, and Brian was a great help with his, with contacts in the breakfast club.
“It was only two days prior to D Day I had the all clear from Erith that our location was safe, due to it’s proximity to the stack, 804 metres.”
Mr Griffiths extended his thanks to landowner Mr Lougher, who allowed a group from the breakfast club to view the demolition from his land, giving them one last chance to say goodbye to a place in which they spent most days of their working lives.
The demolition was carried out by Erith Contractors alongside explosive engineering specialists Precision Demolition Company (PDC), following months of preparation and detailed engineering analysis.
With the turbine hall demolition complete, work will continue on the broader demolition programme, site remediation, and infrastructure planning.
The site is being considered for future use in renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and circular economy projects.
