Newbury power station

Newbury power station supplied electricity to the town of Newbury, Berkshire and the surrounding area from 1905 to 1970. It was owned and operated by a succession of public and private organisations. It comprised, at various times, hydro-electric, gas engine and diesel engine powered plant with a maximum output capacity of 2.57 MW.

Newbury power station
CountryEngland
LocationNewbury Berkshire
Coordinates51°24′07″N 01°18′53″W
StatusDecommissioned and demolished
Commission date1905
Decommission date1970
Owner(s)Urban Electric Supply Company Limited
(1901–1937)
Wessex Electricity Company
(1937–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1970)
Operator(s)As owner
Thermal power station
Primary fuelDiesel fuel
Turbine technologyDiesel engines
Power generation
Units operational2 x 1050 kW, 2 x 180 kW, 1 x 110 kW
Nameplate capacity2.57 MW
Annual net output1762 MWh (1956)

History

The Board of Trade granted Newbury Corporation a Provisional Order in 1892 to generate and supply electricity to Newbury under the Electric Lighting Acts.[1] This was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 3) Act 1892 (55 & 56 Vict. c. xxxviii).[2] However, the town council did not develop the electricity undertaking.

In 1901 the Urban Electric Supply Company Limited obtained a Provisional Order to supply electricity to Newbury. The Urban Electric Supply Company was founded in 1898 to obtain Parliamentary powers to operate smaller electric light and tramway undertakings.[3] The company's Provisional Order for Newbury was confirmed by the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 7) Act 1901 (1 Edw. 7. c. clxxiv).[4]

The Urban Electric Supply Company built the power station at Greenham Mill (51° 24’ 07”N, 1° 18’ 53”W)[5] over the River Kennet and which opened in January 1905. It used water wheels to generate electricity; the maximum head of water over Greenham weir was 6 feet 11 inches (2.1 metres).[6] In addition to the hydro-electric plant, gas-fired generators were installed at the power station.[7]

Electricity was sold to customers in 1923 at 9.57 d./kWh for lighting and domestic use, and 3.26 d./kWh for power uses. The financial operating summary for the undertaking was as follows:[7]

Newbury electricity undertaking financial summary 1922–23
Year 1922 1923
Expenditure charged to capital account £72,204 £71,992
Revenue from sale of current £11,106 £12,293
Total revenue from working £11,850 £13,040
Total working costs £6,114 £6,250
Surplus of revenue over expenses £5,488 £6,556
Gross  surplus £5,564 £6,664

In 1937 the Wessex Electricity Company, assumed ownership of several small municipal and company electricity undertakings, including Newbury. The Wessex company was founded in 1927 to distribute electricity across south-west England.[8] It aimed to modernise, rationalise and integrate the distribution networks of its constituent companies. Its share capital was wholly owned by Edmondson's Electricity Corporation Limited.

The water wheels and gas engines were decommissioned and replaced with diesel engine sets.[9]

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

Newbury power station closed in about 1970.[12]

Plant equipment

Plant in 1923

The generating plant at Newbury in 1923 comprised:[7]

  • 1 × 52 kW water wheel, and direct current generator
  • 1 × 60 kW water wheel, DC generator
  • 2 × 80 kW gas engines, DC generator
  • 2 × 200 kW gas engines, DC generator

This gave a total output of 672 kW.

Electricity was provided to customers at 480 and 240 Volts direct current.[7]

Plant in 1955

The generating plant at Newbury in 1955 comprised:[9]

  • 1 × 110 kW diesel engine set DC 500 volts
  • 2 × 180 kW diesel engine set DC 500 volts
  • 1 × 1050 kW Ruston-Peebles diesel engine set 11 kV (installed December 1954)
  • 1 × 1050 kW Ruston-Peebles diesel engine set 11 kV (installed January 1955)

The total generating capacity was 2.57 MW.[9]

Operations

Operations 1921-23

Electricity supply data for 1921-23 was:[7]

Newbury power station electricity supply data 1921–23
Electricity Use Units Year
1921 1922 1923
Lighting and domestic MWh 183 165 186
Public lighting MWh 0 0 0
Power MWh 409 363 360
Bulk supply MWh 0 0 0
Total use MWh 592 528 546

Electricity Loads on the system were:[7]

Year 1921 1922 1923
Maximum load kW 300 298 348
Total connections kW 1593 1664 1746
Load factor Per cent 25.9 25.0 22.2

Operations 1946-67

The operating data for Newbury power station was:[9][13][14]

Newbury power station operating data, 1946–67
Year Running hours or load factor (per cent) Max output capacity kW Electricity supplied MWh Thermal efficiency per cent
1946 – – 187 –
1954 725 520 227 60.2
1955 467 2620 760 62.1
1956 954 2620 1762 70.5
1957 312 2570 547 68.2
1958 564 2570 1055 72.8
1961 2.6 % 3000 584 31.99
1962 3.1 % 3000 695 32.17
1963 5.10 % 2000 1339 32.40
1967 14.7 % 3880 4940 31.74

See also

References
  1. Garcke, Emile (1898). Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898-99 vol. 3. London: P. S. King and Son. p. 254.
  2. "Local Acts 1892". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  3. "Urban Electric Supply". The Times. 31 July 1905.
  4. "Local Acts 1901". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  5. Ordnance Survey 25 inch England and Wales, Berkshire XLIII.1 (Greenham; Newbury), revised 1932, published 1934
  6. Nicholson (2014). Waterways Guide River Thames and the Southern Waterways. Glasgow: Nicholson. p. 99. ISBN 9780007493814.
  7. Electricity Commissioners (1925). Electricity Supply – 1920–23. London: HMSO. pp. 212–215, 496–501.
  8. "Wessex Electricity Company". The Times. 9 June 1939. p. 19.
  9. Garrett, Frederick (1959). Garcke’s Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-79 A-143.
  10. "Electricity Act 1947". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  11. Electricity Council (1987). Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. pp. 60, 69, 73. ISBN 085188105X.
  12. The station is listed in the CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1967 but not in the 1972 edition
  13. Electricity Commissioners (1947). Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946. London: HMSO. p. 15.
  14. CEGB Annual Report 1961-63, CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1967, 1972
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