Guildford power station

{{Infobox power station

| name = Guildford power station

| coordinates = {{Coord|51|14|46|N|00|34|42|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| country = England

| location = Guildford

| status = Decommissioned and demolished

| construction_began = 1894, 1928 (Woodbridge Road)

| commissioned = November 1896, 1928 (Woodbridge Road)

| decommissioned = 1967

| owner = Guildford Electricity Supply Company Limited (1894–1921), Guildford Corporation (1921–1948), British Electricity Authority (1948–55), Central Electricity Authority (1955–57), Central Electricity Generating Board (1958–66)

| operator = Guildford Electricity Supply Company Limited (1894–1921), Guildford Corporation (1921–1948), British Electricity Authority (1948–55), Central Electricity Authority (1955–57), Central Electricity Generating Board (1958–66)

| th_fuel_primary = Coal

| th_technology = Reciprocating engines and steam turbines

| ps_cooling_source = River water

| ps_units_operational = 2 × 1,875 kW and 2 × 3,750 kW

| ps_units_decommissioned = All

| ps_electrical_capacity = 6 MW (1928) 11.25 MW (1954)

| ps_annual_generation = 13,277 MWh (1946)

}}

Guildford power station supplied electricity to the town of Guildford and the surrounding area from 1896 to 1967. The power station was built and operated by the Guildford Electricity Supply Company Limited. In 1921 it was acquired by the Guildford Corporation which operated it until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.

History

The Holloway Electricity Supply Company Limited was registered on 30 June 1892, it changed its name to the Guildford Electricity Supply Company Limited on 17 September 1894.{{Cite book|last=Garcke|first=Emile|title=Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898-99 vol. 3|publisher=P. S. King and Son|year=1898|location=London|pages=194}} The company applied for a provisional order under the Electric Lighting Acts to generate and supply electricity to the town of Guildford. The {{visible anchor|Guildford Electric Lighting Order 1894}} was granted by the Board of Trade and was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 4) Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. cxv).{{Cite web|title=Local Acts 1894|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/chron-tables/local/103|access-date=31 December 2021|website=legislation.gov.uk}}

The power station was built adjacent to the River Wey and was commissioned in November 1896. The electricity plant comprised Willans engines coupled directly to Goolden dynamos. The company charged 7d. and 4d./kWh with discounts and sold 15,291 kWh in 1898.{{Cite book|last=Garcke|first=Emile|title=Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898-99 vol. 3|publisher=P. S. King and Son|year=1898|location=London|pages=194}}

In 1913 the Guildford Electricity Supply Company built a new power house near New Bridge.{{Cite web|title=The Electric Theatre|url=https://guildford.daiyanyingyu.uk/home/history/electric/|access-date=31 December 2021}}

In 1921 the Guildford Electricity Supply Company was acquired by the Guildford Corporation.{{Cite book|last=Electricity Commissioners|title=Electricity Supply – 1920–23|publisher=HMSO|year=1925|location=London|pages=36–41, 278–83}} In 1928 the corporation built a new power station in Woodbridge Road ({{coord|51|14|45.5|N|0|34|41.6|W}}) adjacent to the River Wey and the railway with an initial capacity of 6 MW, but which was capable of expansion to 42 MW. The initial stage of construction cost £140,000.{{Cite news|date=31 May 1928|title=Guildford Electricity Supply|page=11|work=The Times}}

The Central Electricity Board built the first stages of the National Grid between 1927 and 1933. Guildford power station were connected to the electricity grid.{{Cite web|title=Open Infrastructure Map|url=https://openinframap.org/#15/51.24483/-0.57649|access-date=31 December 2021|website=openinframap.org}}

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|title=Electricity Act 1947|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/10-11/54/contents/enacted|access-date=31 December 2021|website=legislation.gov.uk}} The Guildford electricity undertaking was abolished, ownership of Guildford power station were 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 Guildford electricity undertaking were transferred to the South Eastern Electricity Board (SEEBOARD).{{Cite book|last=Electricity Council|title=Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology|publisher=Electricity Council|year=1987|isbn=085188105X|location=London|pages=60–61}}

Following nationalisation Guildford power station became part of the Guildford electricity supply district.{{Cite book|editor-last=Garrett|editor-first=Frederick C. |title=Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56|publisher=Electrical Press|year=1959|location=London|pages=A-59, A-122, B-169}}

Guilford power station was closed in 1967.The power station is listed in the CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1967 but not in the 1968 edition

Equipment specification

= Plant in 1923 =

By 1923 the plant at Guildford comprised boilers delivering a total of 25,000 lb/h (3.15 kg/s) of steam to:{{Cite book|last=Electricity Commissioners|title=Electricity Supply – 1920–23|publisher=HMSO|year=1925|location=London|pages=36–41, 278–83}}

1 × 60 kW reciprocating engine generating direct current (DC)
1 × 100 kW reciprocating engine generating DC
2 × 220 kW reciprocating engines generating DC
1 × 300 kW reciprocating engine generating DC

There was also a 160 kW oil-fired engine generating DC

The total generating capacity was 1,060 kW.

The following electricity supplies were available to consumers:

440 & 220 Volts DC
220 Volts 1-phase 50 Hz Alternating Current.

= Plant in 1954 =

By 1954 the plant (originally installed in 1927–30) comprised:{{Cite book|editor-last=Garrett|editor-first=Frederick C. |title=Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56|publisher=Electrical Press|year=1959|location=London|pages=A-59, A-122, B-169}}

Boilers:
3 × Stirling tri-drum boilers each of 50,000 lb/h (6.3 kg/s) capacity

Total evaporative capacity 150,000 lb/h (18.9 kg/s), steam conditions were 295 psi and 750 °F (20.3 bar and 400 °C), steam was supplied to:

Generators:
2 × 1.875 MW Parsons turbo-alternators, 3-phase, 50 Hz, 6,600 volts
2 × 3.75 MW Parsons turbo-alternator, 3-phase, 50 Hz, 6,600 volts

The total installed generating capacity was 11.25 MW.

Condenser water was abstracted from the river.{{Cite book|editor-last=Garrett|editor-first=Frederick C. |title=Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56|publisher=Electrical Press|year=1959|location=London|pages=A-59, A-122, B-169}}

Operations

= Operating data 1921–23 =

The electricity supply data for the period 1921–23 was:{{Cite book|last=Electricity Commissioners|title=Electricity Supply – 1920–23|publisher=HMSO|year=1925|location=London|pages=36–41, 278–83}}

class="wikitable" \|+Guildford power stations supply data 1921–23 ! rowspan="2" \|Electricity Use ! rowspan="2" \|Units ! colspan="3" \|Year
1921 !1922 !1923
Lighting and domestic \|MWh \|– \|323.481 \|463.998
Public lighting \|MWh \|0 \|0 \|0
Traction \|MWh \|0 \|0 \|0
Power \|MWh \|– \|274.129 \|623.875
Bulk supply \|MWh \|– \|– \|–
Total use \|MWh \|– \|597.610 \|1,087.873

class="wikitable"

|+Guildford power stations supply data 1921–23

! rowspan="2" |Electricity Use

! rowspan="2" |Units

! colspan="3" |Year

1921

!1922

!1923

Lighting and domestic

|MWh

|–

|323.481

|463.998

Public lighting

|MWh

Traction

|MWh

Power

|MWh

|–

|274.129

|623.875

Bulk supply

|MWh

|–

Total use

|MWh

|–

|597.610

|1,087.873

Electricity Loads on the system were:

class="wikitable"

| colspan="2" |Year

|1921

|1922

|1923

Maximum load

|kW

|–

|740

|850

Total connections

|kW

|–

|3,190

|3,600

Load factor

|Per cent

|–

|17.7

Revenue from the sale of current (in 1923) was £34,930; the surplus of revenue over expenses was £22,180.{{Cite book|last=Electricity Commissioners|title=Electricity Supply – 1920–23|publisher=HMSO|year=1925|location=London|pages=36–41, 278–83}}

= Operating data 1946 =

In 1946 Guildford power station supplied 13,277 MWh of electricity; the maximum output load was 11,540 kW.{{Cite book|last=Electricity Commissioners|title=Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946|publisher=HMSO|year=1947|location=London|pages=9}}

= Operating data 1954–66 =

Operating data for the period 1954–6 was:{{Cite book|editor-last=Garrett|editor-first=Frederick C. |title=Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56|publisher=Electrical Press|year=1959|location=London|pages=A-59, A-122, B-169}}CEGB Annual Reports 1961, 1962, 1963CEGB Statistical Yearbook (CEGB 1966, 1967) page 9

class="wikitable"

|+Guildford power station operating data, 1954–66

!Year

!Running hours or (load as % of max capacity)

!Max output capacity MW

!Electricity supplied MWh

!Thermal efficiency per cent

1954

|1,228

|11

|6,262

|13.42

1955

|1,527

|11

|9,160

|10.25

1956

|690

|11

|4,141

|10.07

1957

|450

|11

|2,660

|10.25

1958

|451

|11

|2,642

|11.27

1961

|(1.9 %)

|11

|1,870

|12.19

1962

|(1.8 %)

|11

|1,718

|10.22

1963

|(6.11 %)

|11

|5,887

|12.15

1965

|(9.4 %)

|11

|9,090

|11.02

1966

|(9.6 %)

|11

|9,291

|11.34

Guildford Electricity District

Following nationalisation in 1948 Guildford power station became part of the Guildford electricity supply district, covering 95 square miles (246 km²) with a population of 82,330 in 1958. The number of consumers and electricity sold in the Guildford district was:{{Cite book|editor-last=Garrett|editor-first=Frederick C. |title=Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56|publisher=Electrical Press|year=1959|location=London|pages=A-59, A-122, B-169}}

class="wikitable"

|Year

|1956

|1957

|1958

Number of consumers

|27,141

|28,029

|28,832

Electricity sold MWh

|94,655

|101,032

|105,416

In 1958 the number of units sold to categories of consumers was:{{Cite book|editor-last=Garrett|editor-first=Frederick C. |title=Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56|publisher=Electrical Press|year=1959|location=London|pages=A-59, A-122, B-169}}

class="wikitable"

! Type of consumer

! No. of consumers

! Electricity sold MWh

Domestic

|25,292

|64,078

Commercial

|3,147

|22,159

Industrial

|183

|15,625

Farms

|205

|2,623

Traction

|–

Public lighting

|931

Total

|28,832

|105,416

Redevelopment

The 1913 power station building was converted in 1997 to an arts venue called The Electric Theatre.{{Cite web|title=The Electric Theatre|url=https://guildford.daiyanyingyu.uk/home/history/electric/|access-date=31 December 2021}}

The power station in Woodbridge Road was demolished, the site is now occupied by a 132 kV electricity sub-station.{{Cite web|title=Open Infrastructure Map|url=https://openinframap.org/#15/51.24483/-0.57649|access-date=31 December 2021|website=openinframap.org}}