Bulls Bridge Power Station
{{Short description|280 MW open-cycle gas-turbine power station at Bull's Bridge, Hayes in west London}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Bulls Bridge Power Station
| image = File:Bulls Bridge CCGT Power Station.jpg
| image_caption = Bulls Bridge OCGT
| coordinates = {{coord|51.50200|-0.40900|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| country = England
| location = Greater London
| status = Decommissioned and demolished
| owner = Central Electricity Generating Board
(1980–1990)
Powergen
(1990–1993)
| operator = As owner
| employees =
| th_fuel_primary = Gas oil
| th_fuel_tertiary =
| ps_site_area =
| ps_chimneys = 1
| ps_units_operational = 4 × 70 MW
| ps_units_manu_model = Rolls-Royce Olympus gas turbine
| ps_units_decommissioned = All
| ps_electrical_capacity = 280 MW
| ps_electrical_cap_fac =
| ps_annual_generation = 4.697 GWh (1985/6)
| construction_began =
| commissioned = June 1981
| decommissioned = 1993
| cost =
| extra = {{gbmapping|TQ104793}}
}}
Bulls Bridge Power Station was a 280 MW open-cycle gas-turbine power station at Bull's Bridge, Hayes in west London. It was decommissioned in 1993 and later demolished.
History
The station was built, owned and operated by the CEGB as a stand-alone open cycle GT station and was commissioned in June 1981{{Cite book|last=Electricity Council|title=Handbook of Electricity Supply Statistics 1989|publisher=Electricity Council|year=1989|isbn=085188122X|location=London|pages=8}} but was later mothballed. It occupied a {{convert|25|acre|ha|adj=on}} site on either side of Yeading Brook, to the south of the Paddington main line and north of the Grand Union Canal, at its junction with the Paddington Arm.
Plant
It was built as a peak lopping and rapid response plant to augment base load generation.{{cite book | doi=10.1115/83-GT-144 | chapter=Condition Monitoring at Bulls Bridge Power Station | title=Volume 5: Ceramics; Structures and Dynamics; Controls, Diagnostics and Instrumentation; Education; Process Industries | year=1983 | last1=Addrison | first1=K. N. | last2=Hill | first2=M. L. G. | isbn=978-0-7918-7955-9 }} It had a total generating capacity of 280 MW.{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1978/feb/13/electricity-generation|date=13 February 1978|title=Electricity Generation|work=Hansard HC Deb 13 February 1978 vol 944 cc21-2}} It comprised four 70 MW generator sets each one being powered by four industrial Olympus gas generators, two at either end of the central alternator. It was connected electrically to the North Hyde 66 kV substation. By 1989 the gross capability was given as 3 × 70 MW plus 1 × 35 MW.
Bulls Bridge typically ran at full power for intervals of 10 minutes to 1 hour. As a result of the UK miners' strike (1984–1985) the station was re-opened in the 1980s,{{cite web|work=Seven Year Statement|title=Table 3.7 - Generation Disconnections since 1991|year=2009|url=http://www.nationalgrid.com/UK/library/documents/sys_03/dddownloaddisplay.asp?sp=sys_Table3_7|publisher=National Grid|access-date=2009-05-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030508220159/http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/library/documents/sys_03/dddownloaddisplay.asp?sp=sys_Table3_7|archive-date=2003-05-08|url-status=dead}} During the year ending 31 March 1986 Bulls Bridge supplied 4.697 GWh of electricity, it's thermal efficiency was 20.02 per cent, and the load factor was 0.5 per cent.CEGB Statistical Yearbook, 1986, CEGB, London
Design
The design of Bulls Bridge power station was of sufficient merit that the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) commissioned a set of photographs of the station.{{Cite web |last=RIBA |date=1979 |title=Bulls Bridge Gas Turbine Power Station |url=https://www.ribapix.com/Bulls-Bridge-Gas-Turbine-Power-Station-North-Hyde-Gardens-Hayes-London_RIBA115210 |access-date=11 November 2023}}
Monitoring
The operation of the gas turbines and the rest of the plant was closely monitored. Key operating parameters of the station's gas turbine engines were as follows.
Closure
On privatisation, the station was owned and run by Powergen, and ceased generating in 1993. The site has since been redeveloped and the station demolished. The western parcel of land is occupied by a British Airways engineering centre.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Portal|London|Energy}}
{{London Powerstations}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Natural gas-fired power stations in England
Category:Former power stations in London
Category:Demolished power stations in the United Kingdom
6 Pity this wasn,t still available