Llanelly power station

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Llanelly power station
Llanelly power station
Country Wales
Location Llanelli
Coordinates 51°41′33″N04°10′15″W / 51.69250°N 4.17083°W / 51.69250; -4.17083
StatusDecommissioned
Construction began1910
Commission date 1910
Decommission dateLate 1960s
OwnersLlanelly and District Electric Lighting and Traction Company Limited
(1910–1924)
Llanelly and District Electric Supply Company Limited (1924–1947)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1970)
OperatorAs owner
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal
Secondary fuelOil
Turbine technologySteam turbines
Chimneys5
Cooling sourceSeawater
Power generation
Units operational1 x 12.5 MW, 1 x 7.5 MW, 1 x 5 MW
Make and modelBritish Thomson-Houston
Units decommissionedAll
Nameplate capacity 24 MW
Annual net output 83.6 GWh (1946)
[ edit on Wikidata]

Llanelly power station, also known as North Dock power station, supplied electricity to the town of Llanelly (Llanelli since 1966) and the surrounding area from 1910 to the late 1960s. The power station was owned and operated by a succession of companies, including the Llanelly and District Electric Supply Company Limited, prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped in the 1920s to meet the increased demand for electricity.

Contents

History

In 1891 Llanelly Corporation applied for a provisional order under the Electric Lighting Acts to generate and supply electricity to the town. This was granted by the Board of Trade and was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 4) Act 1891 (54 & 55 Vict. c. lii). [1] The corporation did not construct an electricity supply system but transferred the provisional order to J. C. Howell Limited, which was established on 20 December 1905. [2] The provisional order was subsequently transferred to the Llanelly and District Electric Lighting and Traction Company Limited when it was established in 1911. This company also supplied current for the Llanelly and District Electric Tramways from June 1911 until the tram system closed in September 1932. In 1924 the Lighting and Traction company changed its name to Llanelly and District Electric Supply Company Limited. [3]

Llanelly power station was constructed at the north east corner of the North Dock (51°41'33"N 04°10'15"W). [4] The location facilitated the supply of coal for the boilers, and cooling water which was drawn from the sea. Further equipment was added to meet the rising demand for electricity; by the late 1920s the station had a generating capacity of 25 MW. [5]

Equipment specification

Plant in 1923

In 1923 the generating plant at the Llanelly power station comprised: [5]

These machines gave a total generating capacity of 6,250 kW comprising 5,750 kW of alternating current (AC) plus 500 kW of direct current (DC). [5]

Electricity supplies to consumers were:

Plant in 1923–28

New plant was commissioned and installed at the Llanelly power station from 1923 to 1928. This comprised: [6]

The boilers were manufactured by Babcock & Wilcox and Yarrow and supplied steam to:

The station was supplied with coal via a siding off the nearby dock railway line. [4]

Condenser cooling water was drawn from the sea. [6]

Operations

The supply of electric current in the early years of operation of Llanelly power station was as follows: [7]

Llanelly power station output
YearElectricity supplied
MWh
19153,479
19164,048
19174,359
19185,675
19195,826
19206,761

Operating data 1921–23

The electricity supply and consumption data for the period 1921–23 was: [5]

Llanelly power station supply and consumption data 1921–23
Electricity useUnitsYear
192119221923
Lighting and domesticMWh480773715
Public lightingMWh175157178
TractionMWh454459514
PowerMWh5,5547,85311,214
Bulk supplyMWh000
Total useMWh6,6639,24312,620

The electricity loads on the system were: [5]

Year192119221923
Maximum loadkW2,6553,5293,780
Total connectionskW8,0009,73410,670
Load factorPer cent18.517.817.7

Revenue from sales of current (in 1923) was £69,818; the surplus of revenue over expenses (1923) was £32,186. [5]

The Corporation tramways ceased operating in September 1932.

The supply of electric current in the inter-war period was as follows: [8]

Llanelly power station output
YearElectricity supplied
MWh
19217,080
192212,605
192313,761
192612,330
192718,300
192923,675
193024,546
193124,092
193224,282
193326,143
193637,952
193853,066

Operating data 1946

Llanelly power station operating data for 1946 was: [9]

Load factor per centMax output load
MW		Electricity supplied
MWh		Thermal efficiency
per cent
39.725,77783,57615.15

The British electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6 c. 54). [10] The Llanelly and District Electric Supply Company Limited was dissolved, ownership of Llanelly power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). [11] At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Llanelly Electric Supply Company were transferred to the South Wales Electricity Board (SWEB).

Operating data 1954–67

Between 1964 and 1966 the boilers were converted to oil-firing. [12] [13] Operating data for the period 1954–67 was as follows. [6] [14] [12]

Llanelly power station operating data, 1954–67
YearRunning hours
or load factor
(per cent)		Max output
capacity
MW		Electricity
supplied
MWh		Thermal efficiency
per cent
195445482459,94714.11
195533152439,18813.83
195619922422,12213.69
195715642418,91713.91
195811512413,50713.75
19615.7 %2411,93313.15
19624.5 %249,48313.01
19637.0 %2414,72213.64
19675.0 %2410,41314.39

The output from the station in MWh is shown on the graph.

Llanelly supply district

Following nationalisation Llanelly became an electricity supply district, covering 161.1 square miles (417 km2) with a population of 106,810 in 1958. [6] The number of consumers and electricity sold in the Llanelly supply district was: [6]

Year195619571958
Number of consumers31,68532,52833,171
Electricity sold MWh337,312344,323342,339

In 1958 the number of units sold to categories of consumers was: [6]

Type of consumerNo. of consumersElectricity sold MWh
Domestic28,56230,472
Farms8332,397
Commercial3,34412,614
Industrial420295,439
Public lighting121,417
Total33,171342,339

Closure

Llanelly power station was decommissioned in the late 1960s, [15] and was demolished in 1972. [13]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Local Acts 1891". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  2. ↑ Garcke, Emile (1898). Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898-99 vol. 3. London: P. S. King and Son. pp. 239, 560.
  3. ↑ "Llanelly and District Electric Lighting and Traction". The Times. 1 March 1924. p. 18.
  4. 1 2 Ordnance Survey Six-inch England and Wales Carmarthenshire LVIII.NW (includes: Llanelly Rural; Pen Bre.), revised 1913, published, 1921
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Electricity Commissioners (1925). Electricity Supply – 1920–23. London: HMSO. pp. 228–231, 514–519.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Garrett, Frederick (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-72 A-126 B-187.
  7. ↑ "Llanelly and District Electric Lighting and Traction Company Limited". The Times. 13 December 1921. p. 16.
  8. ↑ The Times, 4 April 1928 p. 23, 16 April 1931 p. 22, 28 February 1933 p. 21, 2 March 1934 p. 23, 29 June 1939 p. 19
  9. ↑ Electricity Commissioners (1947). Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946. London: HMSO. p. 11.
  10. ↑ "Electricity Act 1947". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  11. ↑ Electricity Council (1987). Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. pp. 45, 60, 69, 73. ISBN   085188105X.
  12. 1 2 CEGB Statistical Yearbook, 1967
  13. 1 2 "North Dock power station, Llanelli (33735)". Coflein. RCAHMW . Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  14. ↑ CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961, 1962 & 1963
  15. ↑ The station is in the CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1967 but not in the 1972 edition
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