Rugeley power stations

Last updated

The Rugeley power stations were a series of two coal-fired power stations located on the River Trent at Rugeley in Staffordshire. The first power station on the site, Rugeley A power station was opened in 1961, but has since been closed and demolished. Rugeley B power station was commissioned in 1970, and closed on 8 June 2016. [1] The cooling towers of which were demolished on 6 June 2021. It had an output of 1,000 megawatts (MW) and had a 400 kilovolt (kV) connection to the national grid. The B station provided enough electricity to power roughly half a million homes. [2]

Contents

Rugeley A (1961–1995)

Rugeley power station A
Rugeley power stations
CountryEngland
Location Rugeley
StatusClosed
Construction began1956
Commission date 1961 [3]
Decommission date1995 [4]
Operators
Thermal power station
Primary fuel Coal
Power generation
Nameplate capacity 600 MW
External links
Commons Related media on Commons
[ edit on Wikidata]

History

Construction of the A station started in 1956. [4] The station's generating sets were commissioned between 1961 and 1962. [5] The station was the first joint venture between the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) and the National Coal Board (NCB). The station took coal directly from the neighbouring Lea Hall Colliery by conveyor belt. [4] This was the first such arrangement in Britain. The colliery was put into production some 6 months before the first generating unit was commissioned in the power station. The station was officially opened on 1 October 1963 by Lord Robens of Woldingham and Sir Christopher Hinton.

The first of the five cooling towers to be completed at Rugeley in 1960 was the world's first large dry cooling tower and the first large scale experiment with a design aimed at eliminating water loss. [4] The dry tower was commissioned in 1962 but its capital and operating costs were considerably higher than a conventional wet tower. No further dry towers were constructed in the UK. [6] On occasions this tower was used by the RAF for parachute development. Rugeley A was also the first power station in Britain to be controlled entirely from a central control room. [4] The total cost of building it was £30 million.

Design and specification

The station had five 120 MW generating sets which gave it a generating capacity of 600 megawatts (MW). The boilers operated on pulverised coal and delivered 540 kg/s of steam at 103.4 bar and 538 °C. [7] Rugeley A was one of the CEGB's twenty steam power stations with the highest thermal efficiency; in 1963–4 the thermal efficiency was 33.34 per cent, 31.75 per cent in 1964–5, and 31.42 per cent in 1965–6. [8] In 1980–1 the station sent out 2,612.838 GWh, the thermal efficiency was 29.56 per cent. [7] The annual electricity output of Rugeley A was: [7] [9]

Electricity output of Rugeley A
Year1960–11961–21962–31963–41964–51965–61966–71971–21978–91980–11981–2
Electricity supplied, GWh119.21,379.22,873.13,3613,0582,9533,3092,5442,633.92,612.82,433
Thermal efficiency, %31.1232.8133.0133.3431.7531.4231.7530.5430.0829.5630.94

Closure

The closure of the A station began in 1994. Two of the station's generating units were decommissioned, with the other three following in 1995. [5] Having burned nearly 42 million tonnes of coal in its lifetime, [4] the station was demolished later in 1996. [1]

Statistics at closure

First ran [5] Closing dateTotal run (hours)Total startsTotal generation (GWh)
Unit 119611994196,0493,719 (3,260 hot, 459 cold)20,097
Unit 219611995180,7814,948 (4,577 hot, 371 cold)18,882
Unit 319611995154,6214,220 (3,701 hot, 519 cold)15,912
Unit 419621994169,2014,404 (3,997 hot, 407 cold)17,526
Unit 519621995168,6703,817 (3,420 hot, 397 cold)17,261

Total coal burnt during lifetime: 41,869,969 tonnes

Rugeley B (1970–2016)

Rugeley B Power Station
The entrance to Rugeley Power Station - geograph.org.uk - 551506.jpg
Rugeley B power station entrance in September 2007
Rugeley power stations
CountryEngland
Location Rugeley
Coordinates 52°45′22″N1°54′58″W / 52.756°N 1.916°W / 52.756; -1.916
StatusDecommissioned
Construction began1964 [10]
Commission date 1970 [11]
Decommission date8 June 2016
Owner Engie
Operators
Thermal power station
Primary fuel Coal
Power generation
Nameplate capacity 1,000 MW
External links
Website www.rugeleypower.com
Commons Related media on Commons
[ edit on Wikidata]

grid reference SK056177
Rugeley B Power Station viewed from Cannock Chase in 2010 2011 Rugeley Power Station Cannock Chase.jpg
Rugeley B Power Station viewed from Cannock Chase in 2010

History

Construction of Rugeley B power station began in 1964, with completion of the station in 1970. [10] [11] The architects were L. K. Watson and H. J. Coates. [12] The architects coloured two of the four cooling towers a pinkish red colour to heighten what they saw as the femininity of the hyperbolic form. [12] With both stations in operation, 850 people were employed at the stations in 1983. [4]

The two stations were initially operated by the Central Electricity Generating Board, but following privatisation in 1990, were handed over to National Power. The Lea Hall colliery was closed on 24 January 1991, meaning all coal burned in the stations needed to be delivered by rail. [4] Rugeley B was supplied with fuel via branch off the adjacent Cannock and Rugeley railway line, near to its connection with the West Coast Main Line. Rail facilities included a west-facing junction on the Rugeley line, A and B sidings, gross-weight and tare-weight weighbridges, a hopper house, an oil siding, a hopper bypass line and a run-round loop. [13]

In July 1996 the Rugeley B power station was bought by Eastern Generation, itself acquired by TXU Europe. Rugeley B was subsequently sold to International Power plc in July 2001. [14] It remains under the same ownership, though International Power later merged with GDF Suez in 2011.

Construction of a flue-gas desulfurization plant started in early 2007 and it was commissioned at the B station in 2009. This allowed the station to comply with environmental legislation in force at the time and continue generating electricity. [15] As well as FGD, a new chimney stack was built and attached to the plant due to the original chimney having a major issue where it was rocking in high winds and a concern it was going to collapse. The original chimney was decommissioned and demolished in 2006, then the new one alongside the FGD plant was commissioned in 2009.

In March 2012 Rugeley Power Ltd announced it would be considering a conversion to run using biomass fuel. [16] In December 2013, Rugeley Power Ltd said they have scrapped the proposed biomass conversion. [17] In 2014, there were 146 people employed at the station. [4]

Design and specification

The Rugeley B station used two 500 MW generating sets, which could produce 8,760,000 MWh each year. [18] The station usually burned 1.6 million tonnes of coal a year, producing 240,000 tonnes of ash. [19] The station's boilers produced 1,100 tonnes of steam per hour, at a temperature of 568 °C. [4] In 1980–1 the station sent out 6,724.920 GWh, the thermal efficiency was 35.47 per cent. [7] Rugeley B also had two gas turbine generators installed, each of 25 MW capacity, which were used for emergency unit starts or could generate direct to the grid when required. It closed in 2016, as a result of a deterioration of market conditions. Thirty of the 150 staff remained to decommission the plant over three years. [20]

The Rugeley B Station chimney was 600 ft (183m) in height, each of the four remaining cooling towers were 380 ft (114m) and main boiler/generator house was 245 ft (74m) high. [1]

Closure and demolition

Demolition of the cooling towers in June 2021

In February 2016 it was announced that the power station would close in the summer of 2016. [1] An announcement by owners, Engie blamed a deterioration in market conditions which included a fall in market prices and increasing carbon costs. The closure resulted in the loss of 150 jobs. [21]

Rugeley Power Station ceased all operations on Wednesday 8 June 2016. Decommissioning began in June 2016. A total of 6 blowdown demolitions took place for the removal of the turbine hall and boiler house in several phases between November 2019 and August 2020. [3] [22] [23] The 600 ft chimney was demolished on 24 January 2021 at 8:32am. [24] The four cooling towers were demolished on 6 June 2021 at 11:25am. [25] [26] The site of the former station is expected to become a residential area. [27] [28]

Statistics at closure

First ranLast runTotal run (hours)Total startsTotal generation (GWh)
Unit 609/01/197008/06/2016285,5952,764 (2313 hot, 451 cold)125,776
Unit 715/10/197030/12/2015125,7762,705 (2318 hot, 387 cold)123,501

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ironbridge power stations</span> Two former power stations in Shropshire, England

The Ironbridge power stations refers to two power stations that occupied a site on the banks of the River Severn at Buildwas in Shropshire, England. The Ironbridge B Power Station was operated by E.ON UK but the site is now owned by Haworth Group. The station stands near the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. Originally powered by coal, they were converted to use 100% biomass fuel. Ironbridge B Power Station stopped generating electricity on 20 November 2015, with the decommissioning process continuing into 2017. The main phase of the 27-month demolition process began at 11:00 GMT on 6 December 2019, commencing with the four cooling towers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrybridge power stations</span> Three coal-fired power stations in West Yorkshire, England

The Ferrybridge power stations were a series of three coal-fired power stations on the River Aire near Ferrybridge in West Yorkshire, England, in operation from 1927 to 2016 on a site next to the junction of the M62 and A1(M) motorways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drakelow Power Station</span> Series of power stations in England

Drakelow Power Station refers to a series of three now decommissioned and demolished coal-fired power stations located 2.4 mi (3.9 km) south of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire in the West Midlands of England, on the River Trent. However, the station was actually located in the county of Derbyshire, in the East Midlands. The power station was a distinguishable landmark of Burton, which is most famous for its breweries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portishead power station</span> Series of two coal and oil-fired power stations

Portishead Power Station refers to a series of two coal and oil-fired power stations which operated in the dock area of Portishead in Somerset, South West England, between 1929 and 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agecroft Power Station</span> Series of three now demolished coal-fired power stations near Manchester, North West England

Agecroft power station was a coal-fired power station between the eastern bank of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal and the western bank of the River Irwell at Pendlebury, near Manchester, England. It operated between 1925 and 1993, and was demolished in 1994. HM Prison Forest Bank has since been built on the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Littlebrook Power Station</span> Series of four oil and coal-fired power stations in Dartford, Kent

The Littlebrook Power Station were a series of four oil and coal-fired power stations situated on the south bank of the River Thames, next to the Queen Elizabeth 2 Bridge and the Dartford Tunnel in Dartford, Kent. The final power station, Littlebrook D, ceased operating in March 2015, and has now been demolished.

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

Little Barford Power Station is a gas-fired power station just north of 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uskmouth power stations</span> Series of two coal-fired power stations south-east of Newport, Wales

The Uskmouth power stations refers to a series of two coal-fired power stations at the mouth of the River Usk in the south-east of Newport, Wales. The first of the two station, Uskmouth A power station, was built in the 1940s and demolished in 2002.

Barton Power Station was a coal-fired power station on the Bridgewater Canal in Trafford Park, near Eccles, Lancashire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Marnham Power Station</span> Former coal-fired power station in England

High Marnham Power Station was a coal fuelled power station in Nottinghamshire, to the west of the River Trent, approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 km) north of the village of High Marnham. Construction site clearance began in November 1955, No. 1 Unit power generation commenced in October 1959, and the station became fully operational in June 1962. The plant operated until 2003 when it was decommissioned, though the cooling towers weren't demolished until 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ince Power Station</span> Two demolished power stations in England

Ince Power Station refers to two demolished power stations near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, North West England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hams Hall power stations</span> Series of now demolished coal-fired power stations

Hams Hall Power Station refers to a series of three, now demolished coal-fired power stations, situated in Warwickshire in the West Midlands of England, 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Birmingham city centre.

Stuart Street Power Station was a coal-fired power station in Bradford, Manchester, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willington Power Station</span> Former coal-fired power station in England

Willington Power Station is a pair of partly demolished coal-fired power stations that were constructed in the 1950s. The two stations were built on a site off Twyford Road, between Willington and Twyford in Derbyshire, England. The two power stations had an installed capacity totaling 804 MW. The two stations consisted of the 'A' Station, and the 'B' Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richborough Power Station</span> Former power station in Kent, England

Richborough power station was a 336 MW power station close to the mouth of the River Stour near Sandwich, on the east coast of Kent. It was built on land within the Port of Richborough but being on the northern edge its site lies mostly within the neighbouring parish of Minster, Kent. It operated from 1962 to 1996; the towers were demolished on 11 March 2012. BFL Management Ltd, the current owners of the site plan to bring it back into use as the £750 million Richborough Energy Park.

Meaford Power Station was a coal-fired power station situated on the River Trent at Meaford near Stone in Staffordshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkstall Power Station</span> Former coal-fired power station in Leeds, England

Kirkstall Power Station was a coal-fired unit opened in 1930, serving the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skelton Grange power station</span>

Skelton Grange Power Station refers to two now-demolished coal fired power stations that served the city of Leeds and surrounding areas. They were located in the Stourton area of the city. The power stations were built in the early 1950s and early 1960s, taken out of use in 1983 and 1994 and subsequently dismantled but the associated 275 kV switching substation was retained and remains in use.

Bromborough power stations are three electricity generating stations that supplied power to industrial and domestic users in Bromborough, Port Sunlight and the wider Wirral area from 1918 until 1998. Bromborough power station provided public electricity supplies from 1951 to 1980. Central power station Bromborough (1918–1998) was originally owned by Lever Brothers and supplied electricity to domestic users in Port Sunlight as well as electricity and steam to industrial users. Merseyside power station Bromborough (1958–1998) was also owned by Unilever and provided electricity and steam at a range of pressures to industrial users in the locality. All three power stations at Bromborough have been demolished.

Stourport power stations were two 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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Rugeley Power Station Development Brief". Cannock Chase District Council & Lichfield District Council. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Welcome to Rugeley Power Station". Switch on to Rugeley Power. Archived from the original on 31 January 2008. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
  3. 1 2 "Going, going, gone: Latest demolition takes place at Rugeley Power Station". Express & Star. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Rugeley B Power Station in 360°". BBC Staffordshire. BBC . Retrieved 24 September 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 "Generation disconnections since 1991". National Grid. 2003. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
  6. ↑ Sheail, John (1991). Power in Trust. Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp. 179–80. ISBN   0-19-854673-4.
  7. 1 2 3 4 CEGB (1981). CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1980-81. London: CEGB. p. 7.
  8. ↑ CEGB (1966). CEGB Statistical Yearbooks 1964, 1965, 1966. London: CEGB. p. 20.
  9. ↑ CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961, 1962 & 1963
  10. 1 2 "Appendix 1". High merit post war coal & oil fired power stations (PDF). Historic England. p. 3. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Rugeley Power Station closure: Workers' fate sealed as death knell comes early". Express & Star. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  12. 1 2 Clarke, Jonathan (2013). High merit: existing English post-war coal and oil-fired power stations in context. London: Historic England. p. 16.
  13. ↑ Jacobs, Gerald (1990). London Midland Region Track Diagrams. Exeter: Quail. pp. 12A. ISBN   0900609745.
  14. ↑ Morgan, Oliver; Correspondent, Industrial (3 June 2001). "International Power in £250m deal with TXU". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 December 2015.{{cite web}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  15. ↑ "Rugeley Power Station Flue Gas Desulphurisation". Capula. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  16. ↑ "Rugeley Power Station Potential Biomass Conversion Unveiled". 1 March 2012. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012.
  17. ↑ "Rugeley Power Station plans scrapped". 27 December 2013.
  18. ↑ "Electricity Generation". Switch on to Rugeley Power. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
  19. ↑ "Burrow Pit". Switch on to Rugeley Power. Archived from the original on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
  20. ↑ "Rugeley Power Station to close in June". BBC News. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  21. ↑ "Rugeley Power Station closure plan puts 150 jobs at risk". BBC News. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  22. ↑ Archer, Megan (20 August 2020). "PICTURES: Boiler house at Rugeley Power Station demolished in sixth explosion". Express & Star. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  23. ↑ Reynolds, Jordan (20 November 2019). "Steel structures to be demolished at Rugeley Power Station next week". Express & Star. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  24. ↑ Kreft, Helen (24 January 2021). "Watch as Rugeley Power Station chimney is blown up". Staffordshire Live. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  25. ↑ "WATCH Rugeley Power Station demolition of cooling towers live". Express & Star. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  26. ↑ Davies, Ruby (6 June 2021). "Live: Watch as demolition of Rugeley Power Station's cooling towers takes place". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  27. ↑ Slater, Nigel (21 November 2019). "Rugeley Power Station demolition to resume next week". Staffordshire Live. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  28. ↑ "Rugeley Power Station cooling towers demolished". BBC News. Retrieved 6 June 2021.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Rugeley Power Station at Wikimedia Commons

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.