Drax has finished commissioning Hirwaun Power Station in South Wales and taken commercial control from developer Metlen Energy & Metals. It is the first of three 299 MW open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) plants Drax is developing in England and Wales.
The UK power system needs flexible plants that can respond quickly when wind and solar output drops. Drax says the three OCGTs together will provide about 900 MW of capacity once all are complete, with revenues supported by peak generation, system services and long-term Capacity Market contracts running to 2039.
The company also says the plants were designed to do more than generate electricity. With a clutch mechanism that lets them operate as synchronous compensators, they can provide inertia and voltage control without running the gas turbine, which adds value as more intermittent renewables connect to the grid.
Drax chief executive Will Gardiner described the commissioning as a milestone and said the company is also looking at battery storage and other flexible energy investments.
The move reflects a broader shift in the UK power market, where the value of flexibility is rising alongside the buildout of renewables and the need to maintain energy security.
