Berwick-upon-Tweed Power Station

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Berwick-upon-Tweed Power Station
Berwick-upon-Tweed Power Station
CountryEngland
Location Berwick-upon-Tweed
Coordinates 55°46′00″N2°00′17″W / 55.766743°N 2.004755°W / 55.766743; -2.004755
StatusDecommissioned
Construction began1900
Commission date 1903
Decommission date1940s
OwnersUrban Electric Supply Company Limited, Scottish Southern Electric Supply Company Limited
Operatorsas owner
Thermal power station
Primary fuel Coal
[ edit on Wikidata]

grid reference NT998526

Berwick Power Station was a small coal-fired power station situated at the mouth of the River Tweed, at Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, North East England. It operated from 1903 until the early 1940s.

History

An electric lighting order was granted to the borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1900, Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No.7) Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. clxvii). [1]   Supplies of electricity started on 26 September 1903. [1] By 1915 the plant comprised three boilers, two Belliss engines coupled directly to three Crompton dynamos. There was a 400 Amp-hour battery to maintain supplies. The total plant capacity was 180 kW. In the year ended 31 December 1912 a total of 286.68 MWh was sold to 354 customers. [1]

In the early 1920s the Berwick-upon-Tweed electricity undertaking was operated as part of the Urban Electric Supply Company Limited. The latter company operated electricity undertakings in Caterham, Cambourne, Dartmouth & Kingswear, Glossop, Godalming, Grantham, Illogan, Newbury, Newton Abbot, Redruth, Stamford, Weybridge and Woking. [2]

In 1923 the plant at Berwick-upon-Tweed comprised three 90 kW and one 200 kW reciprocating engines driving electricity generators. The machines were supplied with up to 22,000 lb/hr (9,979 kg/hr) of steam. [2] The generators operated at 500 Volts and supplied Direct Current at 240 and 480 Volts to consumers. In 1923 the plant generated 539.447 GWh, the maximum load was 330 MW and there were 1,673 connections on the system. The undertaking sold 423,000 kWh which generated an income of £10,338. After deduction of expense there was a profit of £5,083. [2]

The station was constructed in the 1930s. The station's main building, which consisted of a boiler house and turbine hall, stood at two stories tall. The station was designed to fit in with the town walls, and so constructed in stone. The main building was a triple gabled building, with irregular windows. [3] It had frontage onto the river for easy access to condensing water and coal delivery.

In 1937 the power station was owned by the Scottish Southern Electric Supply Company Limited. [4] The plant comprised four boilers with a total steam output of 22,000 lb/hr. Three 90kW and one 200kW reciprocating engines. These generated 700.04 MWh, the majority of electric power was imported, the total sold was 2,337 MWh to 1,758 customers. The financial gross surplus was £5,264. [4]

The Berwick-on-Tweed power station had been decommissioned by 1946 as it does not appear in a list of British power stations. [5]

After ceasing to generate electricity, the generating equipment was removed and the building was used as a storehouse. The building was eventually demolished in the late 1990s. [3]

Related Research Articles

Carlisle power stations were two electricity generating stations that supplied electricity to Carlisle and the surrounding area from 1899 until 1980. The first power station (1899–1927) was in the centre of the city near Nelson Bridge, and the second larger station was at Willow Holme North-West of the city (1923–1980).

Bath power station supplied electricity to the City of Bath and the wider area from 1890. The station was originally built and operated by the City of Bath Electric Lighting and Engineering Company Limited. The power station was on a site in Dorchester Street adjacent to the Old Bridge over the River Avon. The City of Bath Corporation assumed ownership in 1897. The power station was redeveloped several times: including a major rebuilding with new equipment in the 1920s. The station was closed in the late 1960s and was subsequently demolished.

Stafford power station supplied electricity to the town of Stafford, England and the surrounding area from 1895 to 1958. It was initially owned and operated by Stafford Corporation, then by the North West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped in the 1920s, but after 1935 it was a standby plant used at times of peak demand. Stafford power station was decommissioned in 1958.

South Shields power station supplied electricity to the borough of South Shields and the surrounding area from 1896 to 1958. It was owned and operated by South Shields Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped several times to meet increasing demand It was decommissioned in 1958.

Burnley power station supplied electricity to the town of Burnley, Lancashire from 1893 to 1958. The electricity station was owned and operated by Burnley Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948. It was redeveloped as demand for electricity grew and old plant was replaced, and had an ultimate generating capacity of 8 MW in the 1920s. The station closed in 1958.

Sutton Coldfield power station supplied electricity to the town of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham from 1901 to 1959. The electricity generating station was owned and operated by Sutton Coldfield Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948. It was closed in 1959 when it had a generating capacity of 1.0 MW.

The Cardiff power stations supplied electricity to the City of Cardiff and the surrounding area from 1894 to about 1970. The original power station was in Riverside; a larger replacement station was built in Roath in the 1902, initially to supply the tramway system. They were both owned and operated by Cardiff Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The Roath power station was redeveloped in the 1920s and 1940s to meet the increased demand for electricity.

The Newport power stations supplied electricity to the town of Newport and the surrounding area from 1895 to the late 1970s. The original power station was in Llanarth Street which supplied electric lighting; a larger station, known as the East power station, was built in Corporation Road from 1903. They were owned and operated by Newport Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The East power station was redeveloped in the 1920s and 1940s to meet the increased demand for electricity.

Nelson power station supplied electricity to the town of Nelson, Lancashire and the surrounding area from 1892 to 1960. The power station was owned and operated by Nelson Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. It was redeveloped in 1922 to 1925 to meet the increased demand for electricity.

Stockport power station supplied electricity to the town of Stockport, Cheshire and the surrounding area from 1899 to 1976. The power station was owned and operated by Stockport Corporation prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. It was redeveloped several times to meet the increased demand for electricity.

Warrington power station supplied electricity to the town of Warrington, Lancashire and the surrounding area from about 1900 to 1979. The power station was initially developed by the Warrington and District Electric Light and Power Company Limited, this was taken over by Warrington Corporation, which operated the power station prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. It was redeveloped several times to meet the increased demand for electricity.

Ramsgate power station supplied electricity to the town of Ramsgate, Kent, England and the surrounding area from 1905 to 1958. The station was operated by the Ramsgate and District Electric Supply Company Limited until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The coal-fired power station had a maximum electricity generating capacity of 2 MW.

Wimbledon power station supplied electricity to the Borough of Wimbledon and the surrounding area from 1899 to 1968. The power station was developed by the Wimbledon Corporation which operated it up to 1933. The London and Home Counties Joint Electricity Authority operated the station from 1933 until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. It was redeveloped by the owners several times to meet the increased demand for electricity.

Folkestone power station supplied electricity to the Borough of Folkestone and the surrounding area from 1898 to 1960. The power station was built by the Folkestone Electricity Supply Company Limited which operated it until the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948. It was redeveloped in the 1920s to meet the increased demand for electricity.

Southport power station supplied electricity to the town of Southport and the surrounding area from 1894 to the late 1960s. The power station was built by the Southport Corporation which operated it up to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. Birkdale power station was operated by the Birkdale District Electric Supply Company Limited and originally supplied Birkdale Urban District until the district was incorporated into the Borough of Southport in 1911.

Bristol power stations supplied electricity to the City of Bristol and the surrounding area from 1893 to 1959. Temple Back and Avonbank power stations were built by the Bristol Corporation which operated them up to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.

Guildford power station supplied electricity to the town of Guildford and the surrounding area from 1896 to 1967. The power station was built and operated by the Guildford Electricity Supply Company Limited. In 1921 it was acquired by the Guildford Corporation which operated it until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.

Tunbridge Wells power station supplied electricity to the town of Royal Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding area from 1895 to 1968. The power station was built by the Tunbridge Wells Corporation which operated it until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.

The Market Drayton Electric Light and Power Company Limited was established in 1902 to provide electricity to Market Drayton, Shropshire, England and the surrounding area. It was abolished upon nationalization of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.

Hinckley power station supplied electricity to the town of Hinckley and the wider Leicestershire area from 1913. It was operated by the Leicestershire and Warwickshire Electric Power Company Limited until nationalization of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station continued operation until the early 1950s.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Garcke, Emile (1915). Manual of Electrical undertakings, 1914-15 Vol 18. London: Electrical Press Limited. pp. 180–81.
  2. 1 2 3 Electricity Commission (1925). Electricity Supply 1920-1923. London: HMSO. pp. 212–15, 596–501.
  3. 1 2 "Structure Details". sine.ncl.ac.uk. Newcastle University. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  4. 1 2 Electricity Supply 1937-38. London: HMSO. 1939. pp. E236-39, F582-7.
  5. ↑ Electricity Commission, Generation of Electricity in Great Britain Year ended 31 December 1946. HMSO, London, 1947.
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