King's Lynn Power Station

King's Lynn Power Station refers to a combined cycle natural gas power station near King's Lynn in Norfolk, commissioned in 1997, and now owned by RWE, and to a coal fired power in King's Lynn in operation from 1899 to 1960. The CCGT station was mothballed on 1 April 2012. It can generate 325 MW of electricity and employed 40 people. The site was reopened on 19 November 2019.[1]

King's Lynn Power Station
CountryEngland
LocationNorfolk, East of England
Coordinates52.727256°N 0.380117°E / 52.727256; 0.380117
Commission date1997
Operator(s)RWE
Thermal power station
Primary fuelNatural gas
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons

grid reference TF608170

History

Construction of this power station began in October 1994 and was completed and started producing electricity in December 1997.[2] The owners of the plant, TXU sold the plant to Centrica in October 2001.

The plant was mothballed on 1 April 2012 as older, less efficient, plants such as King's Lynn had become uneconomic due to high gas prices.[3]

In December 2019 RWE purchased the plant from Centrica. The plant joins the UK gas portfolio which is the largest and most efficient fleet in the UK.[4]

Description

The Combined cycle gas turbine power station is located on Willows Business Park, Saddlebow, King's Lynn and uses gas from National Grid's National Transmission System.

Original Specification

The station was built with one single shaft 237 MW Siemens V94.3 Gas driven Turbine with electrical generator running at 3,000 rpm. The terminal voltage is 21 kV. There is a vertical type triple pressure heat recovery steam generator designed by CMI SA (Belgium)and supplied by CMI SA and International Combustion (since 1997 known as ABB Combustion Services Ltd. The plant has one steam turbine that is coupled to the generator via a self synchronizing clutch. The plant was built with one air cooled condenser which compromises of 61 cooling modules of fins, tubes and fan arranged in four by four configuration, connected to the 132 kV electrical distribution system. The original output of the station was 325 MWe. The power station employs around forty-one staff.

Environmental performance

In 2006 it generated 900 GWh and emitted the following pollutants:-[2]

  • Nitrogen oxides: 310,000 tonnes
  • Methane: 26,000 tonnes
  • Sulphur Dioxide <100,000 tonnes
  • Carbon Monoxide 13 tonnes
  • Carbon Dioxide 365,896 tonnes

King's Lynn B project

Centrica has an option to build about 1,000 MW of gas generation capacity near the present site, but has yet to decide if this will go ahead.[3][5] In 2013 National Grid obtained consent to build a new 400 kV grid connection, but a decision on proceeding is awaited.[6][7]

Coal fired power station

King’s Lynn power station also refers to a small 5 MW coal fired power station in Kettlewell Lane in the town centre which operated from 1899 to 1960.

The King’s Lynn Corporation had been granted a Provisional Order under the Electricity Acts to supply electricity to the town in 1896. Supplies of electricity started on 19 August 1899.[8]

By 1921 the plant at the station comprised a 1 MW steam turbine plus two 200 kW and one 400 kW reciprocating engine generators. The station supplied 3-phase 50 Hz AC at 230 and 400 Volts, and 200 and 400 Volt DC.[9] By 1959 the plant comprised one 2.5 MW, one 1.5 MW and one 1.25 MW turbo-alternator sets. Only alternating current was supplied. The station drew its cooling water from the River Gaywood.[10]

The electricity supplied by the station was:[11][8][9][10]

King's Lynn power station output
Year Electricity supplied (MWh)
1909 524
1910 458
1911 479
1912 500
1913 559
1921 882
1922 837
1923 956
1946 6211
1947 8864
1948 8484
1950 7262
1954 2670
1955 3416
1956 3293
1957 2225
1958 2006

The power station was closed in 1959-60.

References
  1. ""Operations begin at King's Lynn Power Station"". Lynn News. 19 November 2019. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  2. "King's Lynn". Centrica Energy.
  3. "Centrica idles gas-fired plant amid low spark spreads". Argus Media. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  4. "King's Lynn Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Plant". uk-ireland.rwe.com. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  5. "Centrica plan to shut King's Lynn energy generation plant". BBC. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  6. "Kings Lynn B connection project". National Grid. 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  7. "Ministers back 5m power line project at King's Lynn power station". Lynn News. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  8. Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1914-15 vol 18. London: Electrical Press Limited. 1915. pp. 570–71.
  9. Electricity Commission (1925). Electricity Supply 1920-1923. London: HMSO. pp. 52–53.
  10. Garckes Manual of Electricity Supply 1958-59 vol 56. London: Electrical Press. 1959. pp. A-58, A-124.
  11. Garckes Manual of Electricity Supply 1950-51 vol 48. London: Electrical Press. 1953. pp. A-71.
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