Canterbury power station

Canterbury power station supplied electricity to the city of Canterbury, Kent, England from 1900 to 1960. This small generating station was owned and operated by Canterbury 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. Canterbury power station was decommissioned in about 1960.

Canterbury power station
CountryEngland United Kingdom
LocationCanterbury
Coordinates51°17′03″N 01°05′10″E
StatusDecommissioned and demolished
Construction began1898
Commission date1900
Decommission date1960
Owner(s)Canterbury Corporation
(1900–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1960)
Operator(s)As owner
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal
Turbine technologysteam turbines
Cooling sourceriver water
Power generation
Units operational1 x 1875 kW and 2 x 1250 kW turbo-alternators
Make and modelBrush-Ljungstrom
Nameplate capacity4.375 MW
Annual net output5048 MWh in 1946

History

In 1883 a provisional order was granted by the Board of Trade under the Electric Lighting Acts for the generation and supply of electricity to the City of Canterbury. This was confirmed by Parliament in the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 1) Act 1883 (46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxiii).[1] However, no scheme was taken forward. Another provisional order was obtained by the corporation under the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 1) Act 1891 (54 & 55 Vict. c. xlix).[2] The power station was built off Northgate Street (51°17'03"N 1°05'10"E)[3] and first supplied electricity in 1900.[4]

Equipment specification

The initial plant included a pair of generators.[5]

By 1923 the generating plant comprised:[6]

  • Coal-fired boilers generating up to 33,000 lb/h (4.16 kg/s) of steam, the steam was supplied to:
  • Generators:

Electricity supplies available to consumers were 220 and 440 V DC

New plant 1923–29

New plant was commissioned over the period 1923–29 comprising:[7]

  • Boilers:
    • 2 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers with chain grate stokers, each producing 15,000 lb/h (1.89 kg/s) of steam, steam conditions 200 psi and 670 °F (13.8 bar, 354 °C)
  • Generating equipment:
    • 1 × Brush-Ljungstrom 1,875 kW turbo-alternator
    • 2 × Brush-Ljungstrom 1,250 kW turbo-alternators, 3-phase 50 Hz 6.6 kV
    • 2 × Bruce-Peebles converters 500 kW and 250 kW

Condenser cooling water was drawn from the nearby River Stour.[7]

Operations

Operating data 1921–23

The operating data for the period 1921–23 is shown in the table:[6]

Canterbury power station operating data 1921–23
Electricity Use Units Year
1921 1922 1923
Lighting and domestic use MWh 356 395 470
Public lighting use MWh 190 125 154
Traction MWh – – –
Power use MWh 476 515 536
Total use MWh 1,022 1,036 1,162
Load and connected load
Maximum load kW 844 812 805
Total connections kW 2,647 2,772 3,000
Load factor Per cent 16.5 17.8 19.1
Financial
Revenue from sales of current £ – 21,311 21,814
Surplus of revenue over expenses £ – 7,198 10,079

Under the terms of the Electricity (Supply) Act 1926 (16 & 17 Geo. 5 c. 51)[8] the Central Electricity Board (CEB) was established in 1926.[9] The CEB identified high efficiency ‘selected’ power stations that would supply electricity most effectively. The CEB also constructed the national grid (1927–33) to connect power stations within a region.

Operating data 1946

Canterbury power station operating data, 1946 was:[10]

Canterbury power station operating data, 1946
Year Load factor per cent Max output load MW Electricity supplied MWh Thermal efficiency per cent
1946 – 4,030 5,048 –

The British electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6 c. 54).[11] The Canterbury electricity undertaking was abolished, ownership of Canterbury power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).[9] At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Canterbury electricity undertaking were transferred to the South Eastern Electricity Board (SEEBOARD).

Operating data 1954–58

Operating data for the period 1954–58 is shown in the table:[7]

Canterbury power station operating data, 1954–58
Running hours Max output capacity  MW Electricity supplied GWh Thermal efficiency per cent
1954 1103 2 2.514 9.35
1955 738 2 1.309 9.94
1956 489 2 0.819 9.68
1957 775 2 1.356 10.20
1958 615 2 0.937 10.16

Closure

Canterbury power station was decommissioned in about 1960.[12] The buildings were subsequently demolished and the area has been redeveloped with commercial units.

See also

References
  1. "Local Acts 1883". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2011-02-03. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  2. "Local Acts 1891". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2011-02-03. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  3. Ordnance Survey 6 inch map Kent XLVI.NE (includes: Canterbury.) revised: 1938, published: ca. 1945
  4. Garcke, Emile (1898). Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898-99 vol. 3. London: P. S. King and Son. p. 133.
  5. "Grace's Guide Canterbury Power Station". Grace's Guide to British Industrial History. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  6. Electricity Commissioners (1925). Electricity Supply – 1920–23. London: HMSO. pp. 18–21, 266–71.
  7. Garrett, Frederick (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-42, A-116.
  8. "Electricity (Supply) Act 1926". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-10-07. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  9. Electricity Council (1987). Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. pp. 45, 60, 69, 73. ISBN 085188105X.
  10. Electricity Commissioners (1947). Generation of Electricity in Great Britain Year Ended 31 December 1946. London: HMSO. p. 7.
  11. "Electricity Act 1947". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2020-06-12. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  12. Data for 1958 given in Garcke 1959, but Canterbury station is not on the list of stations in CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961
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