Frequently Asked Questions

The Welsh Government granted our planning permissions for our peaking power plant project. This significant milestone paves the way for the development of our innovative energy solution, ensuring that we can move forward with providing reliable power generation to support the community and meet the growing energy demands. We're grateful for the support from local authorities and stakeholders, and we're committed to delivering this project responsibly and sustainably.

A Project of National Significance, such as our crucial peak lopping power plant, is a development vital to the country, influencing economic growth, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability. This projects not only provide substantial economic benefits but also contribute to enhancing national infrastructure and promoting sustainability.

This milestone brought us one step closer to realising our vision of providing reliable and efficient power generation to support the community. With the grid application approved, we have moved forward with the next phases of the project, ensuring timely delivery and impactful results.

Our site is now visible from Earth, thanks to Google's satellite imagery, allowing you to view the layout and plan of the site directly on Google Maps.

Our project is strategically located adjacent to a solar farm and a national grid substation. The substation is the one we are connecting into, enhancing our capacity and efficiency.

20MW refers to a power generation capacity of 20 megawatts, equivalent to 20,000,000 watts. A megawatt (MW) represents a unit of power equal to one million watts, measuring the rate at which electricity is generated or consumed. The number "20" signifies the specific power output capacity, indicating that the power plant or system can generate 20 megawatts of electricity. This capacity highlights the system's significant contribution to the overall power supply, showcasing its ability to produce substantial amounts of electricity efficiently and effectively.

A 20MW power generation capacity can provide electricity to approximately 13,000 to 16,000 homes, depending on various factors such as average household consumption and local grid efficiency.

A peak lopping plant is built through construction management operations alongside a highly qualified civil engineering company, led by industry leaders such as Alconex. Their profound level of experience and skill ensures the project is delivered on time and within budget, from groundwork to equipment installation, testing, and commissioning.

We are in the process of assessing the engines to ensure they meet our project requirements. This assessment is crucial for ensuring timely delivery and the overall success of the project. By carefully evaluating the engines now, we can guarantee that they will be delivered on schedule, contributing to the smooth execution and successful completion of the project.

Gas will be supplied via high-pressure gas mains, for which we have received approval to self-lay. The electricity and gas utility design has been completed, and we are making good progress in their implementation. This ensures a smooth process for supplying gas to our facility, supporting the efficient operation of our peak lopping plant.

Aventurine is dedicated to power generation projects that deliver substantial benefits to the community. Our initiatives focus on providing reliable, sustainable energy while promoting economic growth and improving local infrastructure. We prioritise projects that enhance the quality of life for residents, create job opportunities, and support environmental sustainability. Through strategic planning and collaboration with local authorities and stakeholders, Aventurine ensures that our power generation efforts contribute positively to the communities we serve.

The Welsh Government has approved our full permissions. This milestone allows us to proceed with our power generation project, which will bring significant community benefits, including sustainable energy, economic growth, and improved local infrastructure. We look forward to working closely with local authorities and stakeholders to ensure the success and positive impact of this project on the community.

This achievement ensures that our facility is now ready to connect to the electrical grid, enabling efficient power distribution. With a stable and secure connection, we can reliably supply power during periods of high demand. Securing this connection keeps us on track for our scheduled operational launch and positions us well to proceed with the remaining phases of the project, ensuring timely and reliable power generation.

Our carbon capture solution plays a crucial role in making our operations carbon negative. By capturing the carbon emissions generated during our processes, we effectively remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than we produce.

To ensure the highest standards of quality and safety across all project phases, our contractors maintain a contraception's and accreditations, These include ISO Certifications for quality and environmental management, Health & Safety (H&S) Certifications to ensure a safe work environment, and LRQA NERS Accreditation for excellence in electricity-related services. These certifications reflect the contractor's dedication to quality, safety, and reliability, providing assurance throughout the project lifecycle.

We deliver our projects within a framework that prioritises ethical, sustainable practices and minimises impact on nature, our team, and surrounding communities. Our commitment to dynamic technologies drives scalable industry solutions, addressing the urgent need to move towards global net zero emissions and combat climate change. With a full life cycle of high-level support, we assess mission-critical needs, design tailored solutions, and deliver exceptional results through sublime operations and maintenance programs.

Peak lopping power plants are facilities designed to generate electricity during periods of high demand, known as peak times. These plants help maintain a stable and reliable power supply by quickly ramping up production when electricity usage surges, ensuring that there is no disruption to the grid.

Natural gas is burned in a combustion turbine, producing high-pressure gas that spins a turbine. This mechanical energy drives a generator, converting it into electricity. The electricity is then fed into the power grid to meet peak demand. These plants are designed to start up quickly and efficiently during high electricity demand periods, ensuring a stable power supply.

When the grid urgently requires electricity to meet demand or restore balance, peaking plants activate and swiftly deliver the required power. This responsiveness ensures that the grid remains stable and reliable, even during peak usage periods or unexpected fluctuations in demand.

Base load refers to the minimum level of consistent demand on an electrical grid over a period of time, such as one week. Large-scale coal and fossil fuel plants typically provide this continuous power supply, ensuring that the grid can meet the basic, ongoing electricity needs of consumers.

Standby mode in peaking plants refers to a state where the plant is not actively generating electricity but is ready to quickly start up and produce power when needed. These plants remain on standby to respond rapidly to sudden increases in electricity demand, ensuring a reliable supply during peak periods.

Call to run refers to a command or signal for a power plant, typically a peaking plant, to start generating electricity. This occurs when there is a sudden spike in electricity demand or when the grid requires additional power to maintain stability. The plant, which is usually in standby mode, quickly ramps up to produce the necessary electricity to meet the increased demand.

The grid calls for power through a process managed by grid operators or system operators who monitor electricity demand in real-time. When they detect a need for additional power, they send signals to power plants, including peaking plants, to increase their output. This request, often called a "dispatch order" or "call to run," prompts the power plants to generate and supply the necessary electricity to balance the grid and ensure a stable power supply.

Grid calls are crucial in supporting the growth of intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Since these renewables depend on weather conditions and can fluctuate, grid operators rely on grid calls to maintain balance. When renewable energy generation dips, grid calls activate peaking plants to quickly supply the needed electricity. This ensures a stable and reliable power supply, making it easier to integrate more renewable energy into the grid.

Payments are received when our plant generates power during peak demand or to stabilise the grid, ensuring operational readiness and incentivising demand response. These payments also promote reliability by encouraging equipment maintenance and readiness to meet grid demands efficiently. In summary, they play a crucial role in ensuring reliable and responsive power generation to support the electricity grid.

The power we supply during crucial times of high demand or grid balancing commands a premium price over base load electricity, making it a high-value commodity. This premium pricing reflects the importance and urgency of supplying power when it is most needed, maximising revenue and supporting grid stability. Overall, it underscores the significance and strategic importance of our power generation capabilities.

The project is scheduled to be completed by Q3 2025.

The new current GDV is GBP 19,787,000, while the completed site GDV is GBP 39,000,000.

The introduction of carbon removal technology has significantly enhanced the value proposition of my peak lopping power plant, aligning with our mission to achieve net zero emissions. By implementing this innovative technology, we are not only generating electricity but also actively reducing carbon emissions, contributing to environmental sustainability.

Civil engineering package has made substantial inroads towards completion.

The Distribution Network Operator (DNO) is making strides with the project, as the foundation work for the specific area has been successfully initiated.

With the completion of site drainage, we've reached a crucial milestone in our project. This milestone involved implementing an efficient drainage system to manage water flow and prevent flooding, ensuring proper groundworks to support the infrastructure, and maintaining environmental compliance with regulations to protect the local ecosystem. The completion of site drainage ensures that the construction area remains safe and functional, paving the way for the next phases of our project to proceed smoothly.

We have ordered key electrical components, this marks a critical achievement for our project to guarantee timely delivery of crucial equipment ensuring we strive forward with the build.