Dolgarrog power station

Last updated
Dolgarrog Power Station
Dolgarrog hydroelectric power station in Dyffryn Conwy, Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri (National Park) 02.jpg
Dolgarrog power station
CountryWales
LocationDolgarrog
Coordinates 53°11′28″N03°50′33″W / 53.19111°N 3.84250°W / 53.19111; -3.84250
StatusOperational
Commission date 1907
OwnersAluminium Corporation of Dolgarrog
(1907–1920)
North Wales Power Company Limited
(1920–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1990)
National Power
(1990–2000)
Innogy plc
(2000–2002)
RWE Innogy
(2002–present)
OperatorAs owner
Power generation
Units operational2 × 5 MW; 1 × 6.5 MW; and 1 × 10 MW
Nameplate capacity 27 MW
Annual net output 74.1 GWh (1958)
[ edit on Wikidata]

Dolgarrog Power Station in Dolgarrog, Wales was originally built in 1907 as part of an aluminium smelting plant. It uses water turbines to drive electricity alternators. Public supplies began in 1922 when power lines were constructed to transmit electricity from the power station to Colwyn Bay, Conwy and Llandudno. The station was vested in the British Electricity Authority and its successors following nationalisation in 1948. It is currently (2025) operated by RWE NPower UK.

Contents

History

Dolgarrog hydro-electric power station was commissioned in 1907 by the Aluminium Corporation of Dolgarrog to supply electricity to its adjacent aluminium smelting plant. [1] The smelting of the mineral bauxite to make aluminium is an energy intensive process requiring a large amount of electricity. [2] The availability of cheap hydro-electric power was therefore attractive. The construction of the power station was sanctioned under the provisions of the North Wales Electric Power Act 1904. Water was drawn from Llyn Cowlyd and Llyn Eigiau, via a system of leats and tunnels. [3] There are two 48-inch (1.22 m) diameter pipelines providing a working head of 830 feet (253 m) and 1130 feet (344 m). [3]

The Aluminium Corporation of Dolgarrog acquired a controlling interest in the North Wales Power and Traction Company in 1918. Ownership of the power station was transferred in 1920 to the Power Company which was subsequently renamed the North Wales Power Company Limited. [1] The Power Company also owned and operated the power stations at Cwm Dyli and Maentwrog. [4]

In 1924–25 the North Wales Power Company increased the capacity of the power station by adding two Pelton wheels coupled to 5 MW alternators. [5] This was known as No. 2 station. [3]

In the mid-1930s the Company sought to further expand the power station. The Electricity Commissioners gave consent to the addition of a new 6.5 MW generating set. [5] A new 6-feet (1.83 m) diameter pipe was installed to extend the existing 48-inch (1.22 m) pipe to Cowlyd dam. The North Wales and South Cheshire Joint Electricity Authority (JEA) supported the North Wales Power Bill which increased the share capital of the Power Company to £3 million. Money was therefore available to finance the extension. The power bill was enacted as the North Wales Electric Power Act 1936. [6]

The British electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948. [1] The North Wales Power Company Limited and the JEA were abolished and ownership of Dolgarrog power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority and its successor organisations. The North Wales Hydro-Electric Power Act 1952 (15 & 16 Geo. 6 and 1 & 2 Eliz. 2. C. cxlvi) provided for the extension of the Dolgarrog and Maentwrog catchment area including a 10 MW extension to the plant at Dolgarrog power station. [1] This was No. 3 Station. [3]

The British electricity supply industry was privatised in 1990. [7] At that time the net capability of Dolgarrog power station was 27 MW from four machines. The station was designated Dolgarrog High-Head power station (18.4 MW) and Dolgarrog Low-Head power station (14.98 MW). Ownership was vested in National Power in 1990 which demerged as Innogy plc in 2000. This was acquired by RWE of Germany in 2002. The station is currently (2020) operated by an Innogy subsidiary Innogy Renewables UK. [8]

Plant and equipment

The power station was developed in stages as outlined above; technical details are as follows. [3]

No. 1 station

Commissioned in 1909, comprising a Boving Pelton wheel with Bruce Peebles 1.2 MW, 6.6 kV alternator. [3]

No. 2 station

Commissioned in 1924–25 and comprising 2 Pelton wheels driving 2 × 5 MW AC alternators. In 1936 a third Pelton wheel was installed coupled to a 6.5 MW alternator. [3]

No. 3 station

Commissioned in 1957, comprising one Boving-Bruce Peebles 10 MW set operating at 750 rpm and with a working head of 750 feet (229 m). There were Ferranti step-up transformers from 6.6 kV to 20 and 33 kV. [3]

Plant summary

In 1979 the plant at Dolgarrog power station comprised 2 × 5 MW; 1 × 6.5 MW; and 1 × 10 MW turbine & alternator sets giving a net capability of 27 MW. The oldest machine had been installed in 1924. [9]

The generator sets are currently (2020) are numbered 2, 3, 4 & 5; all are Francis turbines manufactured by Weir, Weir, Boving & Gilkes respectively, with alternators by GEC-Alsthom (Nos. 2, 3 & 5) and Peebles (No. 4). [10]

Operations

In 1921–23 the electricity statistics for the North Wales Power Company's Dolgarrog power station were: [11]

Dolgarrog power station operating data 1921–23
Year192119221923
Electricity generated MWh6,8886,4878,691
Electricity purchased MWh1,0402,2703,248
Electricity sold MWh7,9288,7579,939
Maximum load kW3,3604,6005,000
Total connections kW7,5009,00011,000
Load factor per cent26.821.722.6
Revenue from sales–£29,563£34,727
Surplus revenue over expenses–£16,010£17,766

Operating data for the period 1921–86 was: [3] [4] [11] [12] [13]

Dolgarrog power station utilisation and output, 1921–86
YearRunning hoursMax output capacity  MWElectricity supplied MWhLoad factor per cent
1921–5.51,73626.8
1922–5.51,64321.7
1923–5.58,45922.6
1936––45,434–
1946 No.1––43.1–
1946 No.2–21.452,40028.0
1954876017.745,95929.6
1955875217.766,24642.8
1956878417.734,20322.0
1957875827.758,13634.9
1958735027.774,10336.1
1961–2867,26027.7
1962–2870,98429.3
1963–2847,55119.39
1967–26.561,70026.2
1972–2739,43916.9
1979–2758,73724.8
1982–2765,94227.9
1986–2764,33427.3

The output in GWh is shown graphically.

The station is currently (2020) operated by Innogy Renewables UK. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llyn Cowlyd</span> Body of water in Snowdonia, north Wales

Llyn Cowlyd is the deepest lake in northern Wales. It lies in the Snowdonia National Park at the upper end of Cwm Cowlyd on the south-eastern edge of the Carneddau range of mountains, at a height of 330 metres (1,083 ft) above sea level. The lake is long and narrow, measuring nearly 3 kilometres (2 mi) long and about 500 m wide, and covers an area of 1.1 square kilometres. It has a mean depth of 33 metres (108 ft) and at its deepest has given soundings of 70 metres (230 ft), this being some 14 m (46 ft) greater than its natural depth, the water surface having been raised twice by the building of dams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilford Power Station</span>

Wilford power station was a coal-fired electricity generating station situated on the north bank of the River Trent, at Nottingham in the East Midlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolgarrog</span> Village and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales

Dolgarrog is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, in Wales, situated between Llanrwst and Conwy, very close to the Conwy River. The village is well known for its industrial history since the 18th century and the Eigiau dam disaster, which occurred in 1925. The population was 414 at the 2001 Census, increasing to 446 at the 2011 Census. The community extends up to, and includes part of, Llyn Cowlyd in the Carneddau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cwm Dyli</span> Dam in Cwm Dyli, Wales

Cwm Dyli is the location of a hydro-electric power station on the southern flank of the Snowdon range in North Wales. At the time it was built, it was the largest hydro-electric power station in the United Kingdom. It is Britain's oldest power station, and is believed to be one of the oldest Grid-connected hydro-electric stations in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coedty Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Snowdonia, North Wales

Coedty Reservoir is a reservoir in Snowdonia, North Wales. It is fed by the waters of Afon Porth-llwyd which flows from Llyn Eigiau. The reservoir lies at a height of 900 feet (274 m), and measures some 12 acres (49,000 m2) in size. It contains brown trout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Barford Power Station</span>

Little Barford Power Station is a combined cycle gas turbine power station in the village of Little Barford in Bedfordshire, England. It lies just south of the A428 St Neots bypass and east of the Wyboston Leisure Park. The River Great Ouse runs alongside. It was formerly the site of two coal-fired power stations, now demolished. The station is operated by RWE.

Carmarthen Bay Power Station was an electricity power plant on the north shore of the Burry estuary in Wales in operation from 1953 to 1984.

Stourport power stations were two coal-powered electricity generating stations that supplied electricity to Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire and to the wider West Midlands area from 1927 to 1984. The two stations, A (1927–78) and B (1950–84), were collocated on a joint site adjacent to the River Severn south of Stourport-on-Severn.

The Percival Lane power station in Runcorn was built and operated by the Mersey Power Company Limited. It comprised two stations A and B commissioned in 1921 and 1941. The station supplied electricity to commercial, industrial and domestic users over a wide area of 95 square miles around the River Mersey including Widnes, Ellesmere Port and Runcorn.

The two Coventry power stations supplied electricity to the county borough of Coventry and the wider Warwickshire area from 1895 to 1976. They were owned and operated by Coventry Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The first power station was established in 1895 off Sandy Lane north of the city centre. A new larger power station was built at Longford / Hawksbury Junction in 1928 and was extended in 1938 and 1941. The Longford station was decommissioned in October 1976.

Maentwrog power station was built by the North Wales Power Company and supplied electricity to North Wales, Deeside and Cheshire. It exploits the water resources of the Snowdonia mountains, using water turbines to drive electricity alternators. The 24 MW station has been owned by several organisations; since 2004 it has been owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. It generates an annual electricity output of 60.6 GWh.

Machynlleth power stations were two small electricity generating stations in Machynlleth Powys. They provided electricity to the town and the surrounding rural district from 1938 until the 1970s. The A station was a combined diesel & hydro-electric plant and the B station was a diesel engine plant.

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.

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.

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 North Wales and South Cheshire Joint Electricity Authority supplied electricity to an extensive area of North Wales and parts of Cheshire and Shropshire. As constituted in 1923 the Joint Authority transferred all its rights to distribution of electricity in the area to the North Wales Power Company. The authority was effectively the power company. Both the joint authority and the power company were abolished in 1948 upon the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry.

The British Power and Light Corporation Limited, also known as the British Power & Light Corporation (1929) Limited was registered in 1929 to acquire a controlling interest in electricity undertakings in North Wales; East Suffolk; South Somerset; Trent Valley and High Peak; West Hampshire; and Ringwood, Hampshire. The corporation operated for 19 years and was abolished upon the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Wales Hydro-Electric Power Act 1952</span> United Kingdom legislation

The North Wales Hydro-Electric Power Act 1952 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which gave powers to the British Electricity Authority (BEA) to extend the hydro-electric stations at Dolgarrog and Maentwrog in North Wales and associated purposes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Electricity Council (1987). Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. pp. 38, 66. ISBN   085188105X.
  2. ↑ "The Aluminum Association". 25 October 2020. Archived from the original on 2014-04-27.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Garrett, Frederick (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-50, A-141.
  4. 1 2 Electricity Commissioners (1947). Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946. London: HMSO. p. 12.
  5. 1 2 Electricity Commissioners (1936). Electricity Commissioners 16th Annual Report 1935 to 1936. London: HMSO. pp. 107–08.
  6. ↑ Electricity Commissioners (1937). 17th Annual Report 1936 to 1937. London: HMSO. p. 122.
  7. ↑ "Electricity Act 1989". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2010-11-16. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  8. 1 2 "RWE Generation UK". Archived from the original on 2018-09-27. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  9. ↑ Electricity Council (1979). Handbook of Electricity Supply Statistics 1979. London: Electricity Council. p. 12. ISBN   0851880762.
  10. ↑ "Dolgarrog Hydro-electric Power Station (85420)". Coflein. RCAHMW . Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  11. 1 2 Electricity Commissioners (1925). Electricity Supply 1920-1923. London: HMSO. pp. 228–231, 514–519.
  12. ↑ CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961, 1962 & 1963
  13. ↑ CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1972 to 1986, Central Electricity Generating Board
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.