Canterbury power station
{{short description|Power station in England}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Canterbury power station
| image =
| image_caption =
| coordinates = {{Coord|51|17|03|N|01|05|10|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| country = England United Kingdom
| location = Canterbury
| status = Decommissioned and demolished
| construction_began = 1898
| commissioned = 1900
| decommissioned = 1960
| cost =
| owner = Canterbury Corporation
(1900–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1960)
| operator = As owner
| employees =
| th_fuel_primary = Coal
| th_technology = steam turbines
| ps_cooling_source = river water
| ps_units_operational = 1 x 1875 kW and 2 x 1250 kW turbo-alternators
| ps_units_manu_model = Brush-Ljungstrom
| ps_electrical_capacity = 4.375 MW
| ps_electrical_cap_fac =
| ps_annual_generation = 5048 MWh in 1946
}}
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.
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. The {{visible anchor|Canterbury Electric Lighting Order 1883}} was confirmed by Parliament in the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 1) Act 1883 (46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxiii).{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Local Acts 1883|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/chron-tables/local/86|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203141134/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/chron-tables/local/86 |archive-date=2011-02-03 |access-date=12 October 2020|website=legislation.gov.uk}} However, no scheme was taken forward.
Another provisional order, the {{visible anchor|Canterbury Electric Lighting Order 1891}}, was obtained by the corporation under the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 1) Act 1891 (54 & 55 Vict. c. xlix).{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Local Acts 1891|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/chron-tables/local/97|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203141411/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/chron-tables/local/97 |archive-date=2011-02-03 |access-date=12 October 2020|website=legislation.gov.uk}} The power station was built off Northgate Street ({{coord|51|17|03|N|1|05|10|E}})Ordnance Survey 6 inch map Kent XLVI.NE (includes: Canterbury.) revised: 1938, published: ca. 1945 and first supplied electricity in 1900.{{Cite book|last=Garcke|first=Emile|title=Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898-99 vol. 3|publisher=P. S. King and Son|year=1898|isbn=|location=London|pages=133}}
Equipment specification
The initial plant included a pair of generators.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Grace's Guide Canterbury Power Station|url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Canterbury_Power_Station|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=12 October 2020|website=Grace's Guide to British Industrial History}}
By 1923 the generating plant comprised:{{Cite book|last=Electricity Commissioners|title=Electricity Supply – 1920–23|publisher=HMSO|year=1925|isbn=|location=London|pages=18–21, 266–71}}
- Coal-fired boilers generating up to 33,000 lb/h (4.16 kg/s) of steam, the steam was supplied to:
- Generators:
- 1 × 150 kW reciprocating engine driving a generator
- 2 × 300 kW reciprocating engines driving generators
- 1 × 1,250 kW steam turbo-alternators, generating 3-phase 50 Hz current at 6.6 kV.
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:{{Cite book|last=Garrett|first=Frederick|title=Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56|publisher=Electrical Press|year=1959|isbn=|location=London|pages=A-42, A-116}}
- 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.
Operations
=Operating data 1921–23=
The operating data for the period 1921–23 is shown in the table:
| class="wikitable"
|+Canterbury power station operating data 1921–23 ! rowspan="2" |Electricity Use ! rowspan="2" |Units ! colspan="3" |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 |
| colspan="5" |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 |
| colspan="5" |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){{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Electricity (Supply) Act 1926|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/16-17/51/contents/enacted|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007025328/http://www.legislation.gov.uk:80/ukpga/Geo5/16-17/51/contents/enacted |archive-date=2016-10-07 |access-date=12 October 2020|website=legislation.gov.uk}} the Central Electricity Board (CEB) was established in 1926.{{Cite book|last=Electricity Council|title=Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology|publisher=Electricity Council|year=1987|isbn=085188105X|location=London|pages=45, 60, 69, 73}} 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:{{Cite book|last=Electricity Commissioners|title=Generation of Electricity in Great Britain Year Ended 31 December 1946|publisher=HMSO|year=1947|isbn=|location=London|pages=7}}
| class="wikitable"
|+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).{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Electricity Act 1947|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/10-11/54/contents/enacted|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612224526/http://www.legislation.gov.uk:80/ukpga/Geo6/10-11/54/contents/enacted |archive-date=2020-06-12 |access-date=12 October 2020|website=legislation.gov.uk}} 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). 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:
| class="wikitable"
|+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.Data for 1958 given in Garcke 1959, but Canterbury station is not on the list of stations in CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961 The buildings were subsequently demolished and the area has been redeveloped with commercial units.