The construction of the new Awirs power station is moving ahead at an impressive pace. I recently drove past the site and captured some images of the newly installed turbine and the boiler house. It’s remarkable how quickly things are coming together—what was just a foundation a few months ago is now a fully assembled core of the facility.

The turbine installation is particularly noteworthy. It’s a state-of-the-art piece of engineering, designed for efficiency and reliability and capable of producing 875MW. Alongside it, the boiler house is now taking shape.

However, as much as I appreciate the rapid development, I can’t help but feel a sense of loss when looking at the new structure. The old Awirs installation, with its historic significance and unique industrial character, was demolished to make way for this new facility. And what stands in its place? A massive, featureless metal box. From an engineering perspective, it may be cutting-edge, but aesthetically, it’s a far cry from what once stood here.

While the future of energy production in the region is certainly being secured, I can’t shake the feeling that something was lost in the process. Progress is necessary, but does it always have to come at the cost of character?