Wilford Power Station

Last updated

Wilford Power Station
Wilford Power Station
Country England
Location Nottinghamshire, East Midlands
Coordinates 52°55′55″N1°10′01″W / 52.931980°N 1.166837°W / 52.931980; -1.166837
StatusDecommissioned and demolished
Construction began1921
Commission date September 1925 [1]
Decommission date1981
Construction cost£700,000 (1925), £1,050,000 (1928)
Owner(s)Nottingham Corporation
(1920–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1981)
Operator(s)As owner
Thermal power station
Primary fuel Coal
Turbine technologySteam turbines
Chimneys4 + 2 (1947) + 2 (1957)
Cooling towersnone
Cooling sourceRiver water
Power generation
Units operational3 × 10,000 kW + 1 × 1,000 kW (1925), 3 × 30 MW + 1 × 52.5 MW + 1 × 53 MW + 1 × 62 MW (1971)
Units decommissionedAll
Nameplate capacity 31 MW (1928), 308.5 MW (1971)
Annual net output 625.46 GWh (1971)
[ edit on Wikidata]

grid reference SK561375

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.

Contents

It was also known as North Wilford power station and Nottingham power station

History

Nottingham Corporation obtained a Provisional Order from the Board of Trade in 1890 to generate and supply electricity which was first supplied in September 1894. [2] In 1897 the plant had a generating capacity of 957 kW and the maximum load was 580 kW. A total of 480.381 MWh of electricity was sold to 482 customers which powered 38,000 lamps plus 9 public lamps. This provided an income to the corporation of £10,740-13-2. [2]

By 1923 Nottingham Corporation operated three electricity generating stations: [3]

In addition the partly built Wilford power station had two 2,000 kW turbo-alternators available.

These stations generated a total of 23.641 GWh of electricity in 1923. [3] This was used for lighting and domestic supplies, public lighting, traction and power. The annual revenue from sales of electricity was £263,557, and the surplus of revenue in excess of expenses was £117,210. [3]

By 1920 Nottingham Corporation wished to develop its electricity supply and planned Wilford power station to use coal from the nearby Clifton mine.

Construction

Wilford power station was authorised in 1920. In September 1921 tenders were invited by the Nottingham Corporation for three 10,000 kW turbo-alternators and one 1,000 kW combined turbo-generator-alternator. And for six water-tube boilers with mechanical stokers, super-heaters and forced draught fans. [4]

Construction took 5 years, cost £700,000 (equivalent to £42,470,000in 2021) [5] and the first 30 MW section was completed and formally opened on 17 September 1925. [6]

Operations

The new station was opened on 17 September 1925 by Sir John Snell the Chairman of the Electricity Commissioners. [7] By 1928 further plant had been commissioned. On 7 November 1928 Sir Andrew Duncan the Chairman of the Central Electricity Board inaugurated a new 20,000 kW set at the North Wilford station. [8] The station then had a continuous rating of 58.5 MW and a maximum rating of 71 MW. The total cost of the station was then £1,050,000. The Electricity Commissioners scheduled Wilford as a ‘selected’ station. [8]

The station was later expanded from the original 31 MW to 316 MW.

Much of the coal came from nearby Clifton Colliery [9] immediately north of the power station, there were also railway connections to the Nottingham branch of the Midland Main Line and the Great Central Railway. The power station provided power for Nottingham and the local surrounding area.

The cooling water system abstracted and returned up to 45,500 m3/h (10 million gallons per hour) of water from the River Trent. [10]

Upon nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948 the ownership of Wilford power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). [11] Responsibility for the local distribution and sale of electricity was transferred to the East Midlands Electricity Board. [11]

In February 1947 a new low pressure station was commissioned to the south of the existing station. [12] This comprised four 40 kg/s steam boilers operating at 41.4 bar and 454 °C. These supplied two 30 MW, a single 53 MW and a single 52.5 MW turbo-alternators. This gave a net electricity generating capability of 118 MW. [12]

In May 1957 a new high pressure station was commissioned. [12] This comprised two 38 kg/s steam boilers operating at 62.06 bar and 482 °C. There was a single 62 MW turbo-alternator (commissioned in May 1957). This gave a net electricity generating capability of 58 MW. [12]

In 1971 Wilford power station comprised the following plant. [13] Pulverised fuel boilers with a total capacity of 3,180,000 kg per hour of steam. There was a range of steam conditions –  250/600/900 psi (17.2/41.4/62.1 bar) and 354/427/454/482 °C. The installed capacity of the generators was 308.5 MW comprising three 30 MW, one 52.5 MW, one 53 MW and one 62 MW  turbo-alternators. The total electricity output that year was 625.459 GWh. The thermal efficiency of the station was 21.02%. [13]

The electricity output of the station was: [14] [15] [16] [17]

Electricity output of Wilford power station
YearOutput (GWh)
Low Pressure station
1946350
1953/41366.24
1954/51243.10
1955/61324.70
1956/7894.17
1957/8779.43
High Pressure station
1957/886.80
Total output
1960/11200.7
1961/21056.0
1962/31061.8
1966/71147.75
1972625.46
1978-9269.7

Summary of installed plant

The boilers and electrical plant installed in Wilford power station is summarised as follows. [14]

Wilford power station plant and equipment
Construction/operational phaseBoilersGenerators
No. and ManufacturerCapacity (1,000 lb/h)Steam conditions (psi and °F)No. and CapacitySpeed (rpm)Manufacturer
First Section  (1925) and Extension (1928)2 × Belliss & Morcon


600 (total)


–3 × 12.5 MW

1 × 20 MW

1,500British Thomson- Houston
1 × Hopkinson300–
Second Section (1935)4 × International Combustion150625 psi and 800/850 °F1 × 30 MW3,000British Thomson- Houston
Third Section (1947)4 × International Combustion175625 psi and 860 °F2 × 30 MV3,000British Thomson- Houston
Fourth Section (1949–50)4 × International Combustion320625 psi and 860 °F1 × 53 MW

1 × 52.5 (plus 2 × 2.5 MW house service)

3,000British Thomson- Houston
HP Extension (1957)2 × Mitchell300950 psi and 925 °F1 × 60 MWMetropolitan Vickers

Flue gas treatment

Wilford power station was the site of an experimental plant to remove sulphur compounds from the flue gases. [18] A pilot plant was installed in 1957, at a cost of £220,000, to treat 56,000 ft3/min (1586 m3/min) of boiler flue gases using a cyclic ammonia process. [19] A solution of ammonium salts was re-circulated over a packing through which the flue gases rise. [20] Sulphur compounds in the gases reacted with the solution to form ammonium sulphite, bisulphite and thiosulphate. The ammonia solution was treated with sulphuric acid then further processed to yield 11 tonnes of ammonium sulphate per day and 2,000 lb/day (908 kg/day) of sulphur. The plant was shutdown in 1959 because of the difficulty of obtaining ammonia, the impurities in the product and objectionable odours in the gas plume. [18]

Embankment House Embankment House - geograph.org.uk - 1218720.jpg
Embankment House

Demolition and redevelopment

Wilford power station closed in 1981 and was demolished shortly afterwards. Much of the area was redeveloped with the neighbouring clay works and railway terminus demolished around the same time.

The Nottingham 132 kV electricity substation is still on the site. This is fed from Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station and supplies electricity to Nottingham.

The former power station site has since been developed as a commercial site and is now called the Riverside Retail Park with multiple stores including the anchor stores of B&Q, Boots UK and Argos. The site also contains the Riverside Park and Ride for NCT and Trent Barton.

Additional land was filled in for parkland and developed for offices, including Embankment House office block which houses the headquarters of Experian.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bankside Power Station</span> Former power station in Southwark, London

Bankside Power Station is a decommissioned electricity generating station located on the south bank of the River Thames, in the Bankside area of the Borough of Southwark, London. It generated electricity from 1891 to 1981. It was also used as a training base for electrical and mechanical student apprenticeships from all over the country. Since 2000 the building has been used to house the Tate Modern art museum and gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Ham Power Station</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Yarmouth Power Station</span> 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. The station is operated by RWE.

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

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

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

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.

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

Ribble Power Station was a coal-fired electricity generating station on the River Ribble in Penwortham near Preston, Lancashire, England. 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.

Carlisle power stations were two electricity generating stations that supplied electricity to Carlisle and the surrounding area from 1899 until 1980. The first power station (1899–1927) was in the centre of the city near Nelson Bridge, and the second larger station was at Willow Holme North-West of the city (1923–1980).

Huddersfield power station supplied electricity to the town of Huddersfield and the wider area from 1893 to 1981. It was owned and operated by Huddersfield Corporation 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 in the 1930s to 1950s. The station was decommissioned in October 1981.

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.

Tir John power station supplied electricity to the Swansea area and to the national grid from 1935 to 1976. It was initially owned and operated by the Swansea Corporation until the nationalisation of the electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was built in several phases from 1935 to 1944. It was converted from coal to oil-firing in 1967; Tir John power station was decommissioned in 1976.

The Thornhill power station generated and supplied electricity to the town of Dewsbury and the wider regional area from 1902 to 1982, and again from 1998. The first generating station on the site was owned and operated by the Yorkshire Electric Power Company. Following nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948 Thornhill power station was operated by a succession of state owned bodies. The power station was redeveloped with new plant in 1915, 1925, 1932–37 and 1950–54. The coal-fired steam station was decommissioned in 1982, and was subsequently demolished. A gas turbine power station on the site was commissioned in 1998.

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.

Wallasey power station supplied electricity to the town of Wallasey and the surrounding area from 1897. It was owned and operated by Wallasey 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 1920s and 1950. The station was decommissioned in the late 1960s.

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.

Warrington power station supplied electricity to the town of Warrington, Lancashire and the surrounding area from about 1900 to 1979. The power station was initially developed by the Warrington and District Electric Light and Power Company Limited, this was taken over by Warrington Corporation, which operated the power station prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. It was redeveloped several times to meet the increased demand for electricity.

St Helens power station supplied electricity to the Borough of St Helens and the surrounding area from 1896 to the late 1960s. The power station was developed by the St Helens Corporation which operated it up to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. It was redeveloped several times to meet the increased demand for electricity.

Neepsend power station supplied electricity to the City of Sheffield and the surrounding area from 1910 to 1976. The power station was owned and operated by the Sheffield Corporation Electricity Department prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. It was operated in conjunction with Blackburn Meadows and Kelham power stations and was closed in 1976.

References

  1. ↑ "New Power Station". Derby Daily Telegraph. British Newspaper Archive. 18 September 1925. p. 6.(subscription required)
  2. 1 2 Garcke, Emile (1898). Manual of Electrical Undertakings vol. 3. London: P. S. King & son.
  3. 1 2 3 Electricity Commission (1925). Electricity Supply - 1920-1923. London: HMSO. pp. 70–73, 302–307.
  4. ↑ "Engineering Contracts (p.6)". The Times. 22 September 1921.
  5. ↑ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  6. ↑ Electricity Commissioners (1926). Sixth Annual Report. London: HMSO. p. 26.
  7. ↑ "The Government and Electric Power (p. 12)". The Times. 18 September 1925.
  8. 1 2 "Big Nottingham power station (p. 13)". The Times. 8 November 1928.
  9. ↑ "The gambler who became a Nottingham MP - and discovered coal at his Clifton Hall estate". Nottinghamshire Live. 8 July 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  10. ↑ Sheail, John (1991). Power in Trust. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 65. ISBN   0198546734.
  11. 1 2 Electricity Council (1987). Electricity Supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. p. 60. ISBN   085188105X.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Electricity Council (1979). Handbook of Electricity Supply Statistics 1979. London: Electricity Council. pp. 7, 9. ISBN   0851880762.
  13. 1 2 CEGB (1972). CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1972. London: CEGB. p. 13.
  14. 1 2 Garrett, Frederick C., ed. (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-81, A-129.
  15. ↑ CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961, 1962 & 1963
  16. ↑ Electricity Commission, Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31st December 1946. London: HMSO, 1947.
  17. ↑ CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1967, 1972 and 1979. CEGB
  18. 1 2 Wood, C.W. (1960). "Development of the Fulham-Simon-Carves flue gas washing process". Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. 38: 54–62.
  19. ↑ Bettelheim, J (June 1981). "Fifty Years' Experience of Flue Gas Desulphurisation at Power Stations in the United Kingdom". The Chemical Engineer: 275.
  20. ↑ Kennaway, T (1958). "The Fulham-Simon-Carves process for the recovery of sulphur from flue gases". J. Air Pollution Control Association. 7 (4): 266–74. doi:10.1080/00966665.1958.10467814.