South of Scotland Electricity Board

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South of Scotland Electricity Board
FormerlySouth West Scotland Electricity Board, South East Scotland Electricity Board
Company typeGovernment body
IndustryElectricity generation and supply
Founded1 April 1955
FounderAct of Parliament: Electricity Reorganisation (Scotland) Act 1954
Defunct1991
FatePrivatisation
SuccessorScottish Nuclear, Scottish Power
HeadquartersGlasgow
Area served
South of Scotland
Key people
Sir John Sydney Pickles (Chairman)
ProductsElectric power
Production output
22,321 GWh (1989)
ServicesGeneration and supply of electricity
£32.225 million (1987)
Total assets Electricity generating stations and transmission system
OwnerUK Government (Secretary of State for Scotland)
Number of employees
12,008 (1989)
Parent UK Government
Divisions Distribution areas (see text)

The South of Scotland Electricity Board (SSEB) generated, transmitted and distributed electricity throughout the south of Scotland, including the former regions of Strathclyde, Lothian, Fife, Central, Borders and Dumfries and Galloway and a few towns in northern England. It operated from 1955 to 1991.

Contents

History

As established by the Electricity Act 1947 there were two British Electricity Authority divisions responsible for the generation of electricity in Scotland based in Glasgow and Edinburgh. [1] There were also two area boards for distribution of electricity responsible to the British Electricity Authority and to the Minister of Fuel and Power. It was thought by the industry and government [2] that a single board for the South of Scotland would be better placed to cover the whole area and would provide administrative advantages such as simplification. The South of Scotland would then be in line with the North of Scotland which was covered by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board for both the generation and distribution of electricity. The new arrangement would provide a more efficient service and better match Scotland's needs. [3] [2]

The Electricity Reorganisation (Scotland) Act 1954 transferred to the Secretary of State for Scotland the responsibility for electricity matters in Scotland and established the South of Scotland Electricity Board, a new public authority for the generation and distribution of electricity in the South of Scotland. [3] Scotland was given control of its own electricity undertakings, and the responsibility for adequate performance became the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Scotland. [3] [2] On 1 April 1955, South West Scotland Electricity Board and South East Scotland Electricity Board were merged into the South of Scotland Electricity Board. [4]

The board operated conventional coal-fired steam stations, hydro-electric stations and nuclear power stations. [1]

The board was dissolved in 1991 as a consequence of the Electricity Act 1989 which privatised the British electricity industry. [5]

Constitution

The 1954 act specified the management board was to comprise a chairman and not less than four and not more than eight members. All appointments to the board were to be made by the Secretary of State for Scotland. [1]

The Board's headquarters were at Sauchiehall Street and Inverlair Avenue Glasgow. [1]

Chairmen

South East Scotland Electricity Board

South West Scotland Electricity Board

South of Scotland Electricity Board

Electricity generation

Electricity generated by the board was from coal-fired steam power stations, hydro-electric stations, and from 1964 from nuclear power stations. [1]

Steam power stations

Outline details of the Steam power stations of the South of Scotland Electricity Board in 1958 are as follows: [16]

Steam power stations of the South of Scotland Electricity Board (1958)
Power stationLocationSteam raising capacity of boilers, 1000 lb/hrGenerating setsTotal generating capacity, MWSteam condenser, tower or water course, water flowrate
BaronyCumnock Ayrshire3001 × 30 MW30Cooling tower 3 million gallons per hour (mgph)
BonnybridgeStirlingshire6901 × 5 MW, 2 × 12.5 MW, 2 × 20 MW70Cooling tower 3.35 mgph
BraeheadRenfew2,1004 × 50 MW200River Clyde
Clyde’s MillCambuslang Glasgow2,1242 × 18.75 MW, 8 × 30 MW277.5Cooling tower 3.0 mgph
DalmarnockGlasgow2,3602 × 18.75 MW, 2 × 50 MW, 1 × 60 MW197.5River Clyde
DunfermlineFife1541 × 4 MW, 1× 6 MW, 1 × 3 MW13Townhill Loch
FalkirkStirlingshire851 × 1.5 MW, 2 × 3 MW7.5Cooling tower 0.4 mgph
FergusliePaisley1442 × 5 MW, 2 × 3 MW16.25Cooling trough 0.76 mgph
GalashielsSelkirkshire671 × 1.875 MW, 1 × 3.75 MW5.625Rivers Gala and Tweed

The Board commissioned large coal-fired stations such as the 760 MW Kincardine power station (1958), the 1200 MW Inverkip (1967), the 1200 MW Cockenzie power station (1967), and the 2400 MW Longannet power station (1970). [4]

Hydro-electric power stations

Outline details of the Hydro-electric power stations of the South of Scotland Electricity Board in 1958 are as follows: [16]

Hydro-electric power stations of the South of Scotland Electricity Board (1958)
Power stationLocationCommissionedHead of water, feetGenerating setsGenerating capacity, MWElectrical Output (1958), GWh
BonningtonLanark Lanarkshire19371892 × 4.92 MW9.8455.478
CarsfadCastle Douglas

Kirkcudbrightshire

1936652 × 6 MW1218.234
EarlstounCastle Douglas

Kirkcudbrightshire

19362 × 6 MW1221.821
GlenleeCastle Douglas

Kirkcudbrightshire

19353802 × 12 MW2546.72
KendoonCastle Douglas

Kirkcudbrightshire

19361502 × 10.5 MW2144.467
StonebyresLanark Lanarkshire972 × 2.84 MW5.6828.474
TonglandTongland

Kirkcudbrightshire

19353 × 11 MW33.2574.175

Nuclear power stations

The South of Scotland Electricity Board commissioned three nuclear power stations. [17] [18]

South of Scotland nuclear power stations
Power stationReactor typeOutputConstructionCommissionedClosedStatus
Hunterston A Magnox 2 x 180 MWe19571964March 1990Decommissioning
Hunterston B AGR 2 x 610 MWe19681976January 2022Defuelling
Torness AGR2 x 682 MWe19801988Operational

Transmission

The supply of electricity was by high voltage cables. In 1958 there were 170 miles of transmission line operating at 275 kV and 841 miles at 132 kV. [1] They connected 20 power stations and 44 transforming stations. There were connections to the North of Scotland grid system and to England via the 275 kV Clyde’s Mill to Carlisle line. [1] By April 1989 there were 526 km of 400 kV lines; 1,565 km of 275 kV lines; 1,642 km of 132 kV lines; and 80,256 km of less than 132 kV lines. [19]

Distribution areas

Electricity supply to customers was through eight Distribution Areas. The supply and other key data for 1956 were as follows: [16] [1]

South of Scotland Electricity Board distribution areas (1958)
Distribution areaElectricity supplied to grid, MWhMax demand, MWElectricity sold 1956, GWhConsumers
Ayrshire558,761116,180409,298107,194
Clyde1,021,442240,170848,830194,048
Dumfries and Galloway249,98057,820195,30946,774
Edinburgh and Borders1,074,638240,000858,571242,449
Fife463,36986,550337,32198,189
Glasgow1,232,475301,8801,034,764265,802
Lanarkshire1,334,684278,2501,182601216096
Stirling608,293109,200432,11995,807

Operating data 1949 to 1989

Key operating data for the South of Scotland Electricity Board is summarised in the table. [19]

Key operating data for the South of Scotland Electricity Board
YearTotal output capacity, MWMaximum demand, MWCustomers, thousandsEmployeesCapital expenditure, £ millionNet profit, £ million
194988595689452.80.787
19591656175013421275827.40.097
19693837357414781512161.00.632
19766082392515501394170.22.720
19777183430715641367255.222.286
19787572422815691363242.75.618
19797418449615761373052.59.532
19807826422515851365864.70.099
198178264106195613624128.516.531
198263164733160513005287.417.231
198363564009161412720316.544.101
198461884052162812307407.542.567
198562504154164212019376.0–11.94
198662304237165512172368.643.618
198761604406166912339364.332.225
198855184125168212173224.712.69
198967684026170012008158.31.424

The amount of electricity supplied by the board, in GWh, is shown on the graph. [19]

Dissolution

As a consequence of the Electricity Act 1989, which privatised the British electricity industry, the nuclear assets of the South of Scotland Electricity Board were transferred to Scottish Nuclear. [5]

In January 1990 a reactor at the Hunterston A Magnox Power Station was shut down. The second reactor was shut down on 31 March 1990, the day before the nuclear generation assets (Hunterston A, Hunterston B and Torness Power Stations) were vested with Scottish Nuclear. [5]

The remainder of the assets were privatised as ScottishPower in 1991 and the South of Scotland Electricity Board was dissolved. [5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Garrett, Frederick (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply. London: Electrical Press. pp. C-19 to C-38.
  2. 1 2 3 "Electricity Reorganisation (Scotland) Bill 1954". hansard.parliament.uk. 29 July 1954. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Hannah, Leslie (1982). Engineers, Managers and Politicians. London: Macmillan. pp. 266–277. ISBN   0333220870.
  4. 1 2 Electricity Council (1987). Electricity Supply in the United Kingdom. London: Electricity Council. ISBN   085188105X.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "The restructuring and privatisation of electricity distribution and supply businesses in England and Wales" (PDF). ifs.org.uk. 2001. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  6. The Electrical Review, vol. 157 (1955), p. 1255.
  7. "Duke, Sir (Robert) Norman", Who Was Who (online ed., Oxford University Press, December 2019). Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  8. Electrical Times, vol. 141 (1962), p. 170.
  9. "Chairman Retiring", Coventry Evening Telegraph , 27 January 1962, p. 9.
  10. "Elliott, Sir Norman (Randall)", Who Was Who (online ed., Oxford University Press, December 2019). Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  11. "Allan, (Charles) Lewis (Cuthbert)", Who Was Who (online ed., Oxford University Press, December 2019). Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  12. "Tombs, Baron, (Francis Leonard Tombs)", Who Was Who (online ed., Oxford University Press, December 2019). Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  13. North of Scotland Hydro-electric Board, Report and Accounts (1974), p. 8.
  14. "Berridge, (Donald) Roy", Who Was Who (online ed., Oxford University Press, December 2019). Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  15. "Miller, Sir Donald (John)". Who's Who & Who Was Who. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2024. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U27505. ISBN   9780199540884 . Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 Electrical Journal (1958). Electricity Undertakings of the World 1957-8. London: Benn Brothers. pp. 225–226.
  17. "Hunterston A power station".
  18. "Torness power station".
  19. 1 2 3 Electricity Council (1989). Handbook of Electricity Supply Statistics. London: Electricity Council. pp. 90–93. ISBN   085188122X.

Further reading