Stuart Street Power Station

Last updated

Stuart Street Power Station
Stuart Street Power Station
Country England
Location Lancashire
Coordinates 53°29′09″N2°11′34″W / 53.485760°N 2.192858°W / 53.485760; -2.192858 Coordinates: 53°29′09″N2°11′34″W / 53.485760°N 2.192858°W / 53.485760; -2.192858
StatusDecommissioned and demolished
Commission date 1900
Decommission date1975
Owner(s)Manchester Corporation
(1900–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1975)
Operator(s)As owner
Thermal power station
Primary fuel Coal
Turbine technologySteam turbines and reciprocating engines
Power generation
Units decommissionedAll
Nameplate capacity 175MW, 106.75 MW (1923), 184.75 MW (1971)
Annual net output 136.733 GWh (1971)

grid reference SJ873988

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

Contents

History

The station was built in 1900, and equipped with six Yates and Thom, 2,500hp steam engines, each engine driving an Electrical Co. Ltd, 1,500 kW, three-phase alternator, giving an output of 6,500V at 50 Hz. Babcock & Wilcox supplied 24 boilers fitted with mechanical stokers. [1] [2] In 1904, two Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company, 6000 hp, marine triple-expansion steam engines were installed, each driving a 3,750 kW, 6,500V, three-phase flywheel alternator. Twelve extra boilers by Babcock & Wilcox were installed to drive the new engines. The plant's first turbine-driven generator was installed in 1907. [1]

In 1920, the power station was, with Liverpool Docks, a target for an IRA plot involving its destruction. The plot was foiled when documents were captured and published. [3]

In 1923 the generators at Stuart Street comprised 1 × 5,000 kW, 3 × 6,000 kW, 1 × 6,500 kW, 1 × 7,500 kW, 1 × 8,000 kW, 1 × 15,000 kW, 1 × 18,000 kW and 1 × 25,000 kW steam turbines, plus 1 × 3,750 reciprocating engine. [4] This was a total of 106,750 kW of generating capacity. These machines were driven by a total of 1.728 million pounds per hour of steam (218 kg/s). In 1923 the combined electricity output of the Manchester Corporation electricity department was 224.240 GWh. This was from Stuart Street, Dickinson Street and Bloom Street generating stations. [4]

In 1934, a modernisation programme began which involved practically rebuilding the whole of the site. Metropolitan-Vickers supplied the turbo-alternators, three 30,000 kW and one 25,000 kW. John Thompson Ltd supplied twelve new boilers. Four new concrete cooling towers were also built. Ferguson, Pailin & Co. were awarded the contract for the new switchgear. [5] The work had to be carried out in stages over the following decade so that the plant could be kept running.

After the Second World War, an additional Metropolitan-Vickers, 60,000 kW turbo-alternator, generating at 33,000V was installed along with two large John Thompson boilers. The new boilers were amongst the largest that had hitherto been constructed in the UK and had to be housed in a new building along with the electrostatic precipitators that removed particulates from the flue gases. A new chimney and an additional cooling tower also had to be built for the new boilers. [1]

Coal was supplied from Bradford Colliery via a tunnel containing a conveyor belt. [6] Ash from the boilers was taken away by rail and dumped in the nearby Clayton Vale. [7] [8]

In 1948, the station came under the control of the British Electricity Authority following the nationalisation of the electricity supply industry. The station later became part of the Central Electricity Generating Board in 1957.

In 1971 the boilers had a combined steam generating capacity of 1.94 million pounds per hour (538.9 kg/s). [9] The steam conditions were low pressure 350/355 psi (24.1/24.5 bar) and 371/416 °C; and high pressure 600 psi (41.4 bar) and 454 °C. There was a single 66.5 MW and three 30.75 MW turbo-alternators, and the station had a total generating capacity of 184.75 MW. The electricity output in 1971 was 136.733 GWh. [9]

The generating capacity and output from the high pressure and low pressure plant at Stuart Street is given in the following table. [10] [9] [11]

Stuart Street high pressure plant electricity capacity and output
Year195419551956195719581961196219631972
Installed capacity, MW5858585858See below
Electricity output, GWh300.432413.753389.268419.958239.669
Stuart Street low pressure plant electricity capacity and output
Year1954195519561957195819611962196319671972
Installed capacity, MW111111111111111179.75179.75184.75174184.75
Electricity output, GWh367.606299.142364.347296.364353.105544.644500.632517.02371.75136.733

In 1946 the combined electricity output of Stuart Street power station was 389.169 GWh of electricity, operating at a load factor of 46.1 per cent, and with a thermal efficiency of 19.15 per cent. [12]

Stuart Street station was closed in 1975. [13]

Demolition took place in the late 1970s; the cooling towers were demolished in February 1978. [14] The station was demolished by MJ Finnigan & Co. [15] The area has been redeveloped and the site is now the location of the Manchester Velodrome. [7]

Related Research Articles

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.

West Ham Power Station Former coal-fired power station in London, England

West Ham Power Station was a coal-fired power station on Bow Creek at Canning Town, in east London. It was often referred to informally as Canning Town Power Station.

Great Yarmouth Power Station Gas power station in Norfolk, England

Great Yarmouth Power Station is combined cycle gas turbine power station on South Denes Road in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England, with a maximum output of 420 MW electricity, opened in 2001. It is built on the site of an oil-fired power station, built in 1958 and closed and demolished in the 1990s. A coal-fired power station was built in Great Yarmouth in 1894 and operated until 1961.

Shoreham Power Station Gas-fired power station

Shoreham Power Station is a 420MWe combined cycle gas-fired power station in Southwick, West Sussex. It was built on the site of the Brighton B Power Station. Predating both the former Brighton A & B stations, the town of Brighton has a long history of association with the electricity supply industry.

Rotherham power station was a coal-fired power station sited close to the centre of Rotherham in South Yorkshire.

Doncaster Power Station

Doncaster Power Station refers to two coal-fired electricity generating stations situated in the centre of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. Doncaster A provided electricity to the town from 1900 to 1958, and the B station from 1953 to 1983.

Darlington Power Station British coal-fired power station

Darlington power station refers to a series of two coal-fired power stations situated in Darlington in County Durham, North East England.

Ocker Hill Power Station was situated at Ocker Hill in Tipton, Staffordshire, at a point where the Walsall Canal intersected the L&NWR Wednesbury to Princes End railway line. It was opened in 1902 by the Midland Electric Corporation for Power Distribution Ltd.(MEC) and supplied electricity at 7 kV two phase 50 Hz to much of the Black Country. At the time of its building it was stated by the Stourbridge County Express that it was planned to be the largest power station in England. Although this may have been the original intention, it was never achieved.

Watford Power Station was a coal-fired power station situated in Watford's Riverside area. The station was built by the Watford Corporation Electricity Department starting with the installation of cables in 1899 with completion around 1900, near the banks of the River Colne. A gas turbine power station was commissioned in 1980.

Newton Abbot power station

The Newton Abbot power station was a power station originally built in 1898 at Jetty Marsh, Newton Abbot as a small station to serve the local community. It was subsequently significantly expanded, and changed from direct current to alternating current when bought by the Torquay corporation in the 1920s to provide power across a wider area towards the coast.

Southampton Power Station was a coal fired power station built by Southampton corporation that operated between 1904 and 1977.

The Worcester Power Stations were a series of hydro-electric and coal-fired generating stations providing electricity to the City of Worcester.

The Norwich power stations were a sequence of electricity generating stations that provided electric power to the City of Norwich and the wider area between 1893 and 1986. The first station in Duke Street began operating in 1893, a new power station at Thorpe was in service from 1926 to 1967, this was supplemented with a 'high pressure' station, 1937–1975, and finally a gas turbine station operated from 1964–1986.

Ribble Power Station was a coal-fired electricity generating station on the River Ribble in Penwortham near Preston, Lancashire. The station was built by the Corporation of Preston to replace a small privately-run generating station in the town. It supplied electricity to Preston and the surrounding area from 1923 until 1976. The station was expanded with new equipment in 1943–47 which remained in operation until the power station was closed in 1976 and was subsequently demolished.

Blackburn power stations are a series of electricity generating stations that have provided electric power to the town of Blackburn and the wider area from 1895 to the present. The first station in Jubilee Street, Blackburn began operating in 1895. A new larger station known as Blackburn East or Whitebirk power station was commissioned in 1921 and was rebuilt in stages over the period 1942 to 1955. Whitebirk station closed in 1976. The 60 MW Blackburn Mill Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station has generated electricity since 2002. The Blackburn energy from waste (EfW) plant is currently (2020) being planned.

Lombard Road power station supplied electricity to the Battersea area of South-East London from 1901 to 1972. It was owned and operated by the Borough of Battersea until the nationalisation of the electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped several times: including the incorporation of new plant in the 1910s and the 1930s. The station was decommissioned in 1972.

Burton upon Trent power station supplied electricity to the town of Burton upon Trent and the wider area from 1894 to 1976. It was owned and operated by Burton upon Trent Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped several times: including the incorporation of new plant in the 1910s, in 1924–28 and 1941–43. The station was decommissioned in October 1976.

Wolverhampton power station, also known as Commercial Road power station, supplied electricity to the Borough of Wolverhampton, England and the surrounding area from 1895 to 1976. It was redeveloped in several stages to meet growing demand for electricity: including the addition of new plant in 1902 to 1908, 1925 and 1942. The power station was initially owned and operated by Wolverhampton Corporation, but was transferred to the West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority in 1928. The British Electricity Authority assumed ownership at nationalisation in 1948. Wolverhampton power station was decommissioned in 1976.

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.

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.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Electricity in Manchester 1893-1993 by Roy Frost ISBN   1852160756
  2. Power Stations in Greater Manchester (PDF), 2001, archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2009, retrieved 28 February 2009
  3. Hart 2003 , pp. 150–151
  4. 1 2 Electricity Commission (1925). Electricity Supply - 1920-1923. London: HMSO. pp. 62–65.
  5. Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, 3 May 1934, page 6.
  6. Bradford Colliery , retrieved 28 February 2009
  7. 1 2 Philips Park History Walk (PDF), retrieved 30 June 2017
  8. Clayton Vale History , retrieved 28 February 2009
  9. 1 2 3 CEGB (1972). CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1972. London: CEGB. p. 17.
  10. Garrett, Frederick C., ed. (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol.56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-127.
  11. CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961, 1962 & 1963
  12. Electricity Commission, Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31st December 1946. London: HMSO, 1947.
  13. Walter Warrington Collection, The National Archives, retrieved 23 April 2017
  14. Stuart Street Power Station, Science & Society Picture Library, retrieved 28 February 2009
  15. "MJ Finnigan Demolition", mjfdemolition.co.uk, archived from the original on 6 October 2011, retrieved 18 April 2011

Bibliography