Barking Power Station

Prior to the construction of Barking A Power Station, Barking Town Urban District Council operated its own small power station near its offices from 1897 until its closure in 1927.[1] In 1920, the County of London Electric Supply Company applied for permission to build a power station at Creekmouth in Barking capable of expansion to 600 MW.[2] The Barking A Station had 8 C. A. Parsons turbo-generators (4 × 40 MW and 4 × 20 MW) and 22 boilers, plus 2 dedicated reheat boilers. The two 40 MW sets were cross-compound units and one was the first Parsons set with reheat.[3] These were in two boiler houses, one being all chain grate boilers (6 Babcock & Wilcox and 6 Yarrow) and the other being all pulverised fuel boilers (I.C.L.). The maximum steam capacity of the A station boilers was 1,900,000 lb/hr (239 kg/s). Steam pressure and temperature at the turbine stop valves was 350 psi (24 bar) and 371 °C.[4] Barking Power Station was opened by King George V on 19 May 1925 and was brought into commercial operation on 1 January 1926.[5] In 1927 it took over from the Barking Town Urban District Council station, providing a bulk electricity supply.[1] When completed, the A station was the largest power station in Britain to have been built as a complete station at one time. The Yarrow boilers were scrapped in the early 1950s, their capacity being replaced by steam from the B station via a steam line and suitable regulating equipment. The pulverised fuel boilers were converted to oil firing around 1964. By 1964 there were 3 × 40 MW and 1 × 36.75 MW generators.[4] One of the 40 MW machines was decommissioned in 1966. The A station was decommissioned in 1969.[4]

The site of the power station was chosen for easy delivery of coal from the Thames and by rail, as well as the abundant water supply and space on the site for expansion.[1] A cable tunnel was constructed under the river to supply the south bank with electricity.[6]

Barking's original A station was extended by the building of the B station, which began to operate at full capacity in 1939. The capacity of the B Station was 303 MW with 4 × 75 MW B.T.H. turbo-generators plus a small house generator of 3.5 MW capacity. Steam conditions were 600 psig (41.4 bar) and 800 °F (427 °C). The B Station had 16 B&W chain grate boilers, each capable of producing 256,000 lbs steam per hour (32.3 kg/s). These were arranged in two boiler houses, with 8 boilers in each. The maximum total steam capacity of the B station boilers was 4,096,000 lb/hr (516 kg/s).[4] The power station was transferred to the London Division of the British Electricity Authority upon nationalisation of the electricity industry in 1948.[1] The B station closed on 15 March 1976, at which time its generating capacity was 144 megawatts.[7]

The British Electricity Authority built a third station at Creekmouth, which was completed in 1954. The C Station had three B.T.H. 75 MW turbo-generators operating with steam conditions of 900 psig (62 bar) and 900 °F (482 °C). There were 6 B&W boilers, 5 being pulverised fuel and the sixth a cyclone furnace. The maximum steam capacity of the station boilers was 2,565,000 lb/hr (323 kg/s).[4] The pulverised fuel boilers were converted to oil firing around 1960. The station was closed on 26 October 1981, at which time its generating capacity was 220 MW.[7] All three stations have since been demolished.

Electricity output from Barking A, B & C power stations over the period 1950–1981 was as follows.[4][8][9][10][11][12]

Barking A annual electricity output GWh.

Barking B annual electricity output GWh.

Barking C annual electricity output GWh.