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Luton power station

{{Short description|Former power station}}

{{Infobox power station

| name = Luton power station

| image =

| image_caption =

| coordinates = {{Coord|51|52|45|N|00|24|34|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| country = England

| location = Luton

| status = Decommissioned and demolished

| construction_began = 1898

| commissioned = 1901

| decommissioned = 1969

| cost =

| owner = Luton Corporation
(1895–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1969)

| operator = As owner

| employees =

| th_fuel_primary = Coal

| th_fuel_secondary = Fuel oil

| th_technology = Steam turbines

| ps_cooling_towers = 2

| ps_cooling_source = Cooling towers

| ps_units_operational = 1 x 5 MW, 1 x 7 MW, 1 x 11 MW

| ps_units_manu_model = Brush-Ljungstrom turbo-alternator

| ps_electrical_capacity = 23 MW

| ps_electrical_cap_fac =

| ps_annual_generation = 30,831 MWh (1946)

}}

Luton power station supplied electricity to the Borough of Luton and the surrounding area from 1901 to 1969. The power station was operated by the Luton Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948. It was redeveloped after the First World War to meet the increased demand for electricity.

History

Luton Corporation obtained a provisional order in 1895 under the Electric Lighting Acts to generate and supply electricity to Borough of Luton. The {{visible anchor|Luton Corporation Electric Lighting Order 1895}} was granted by the Board of Trade and was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 2) Act 1895 (58 & 59 Vict. c. lxvii).{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Local Acts 1895|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/chron-tables/local/105|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=12 January 2021|website=Legislation.gov.uk}} The corporation built a power station in St Mary's Road, Luton ({{coord|51|52|45|N|00|24|34|W}})Ordnance Survey 25-inch, Bedfordshire XXXIII.5 (Caddington; Hyde; Luton), surveyed 1922, published 1924. which was commissioned in 1901.

Luton power station supplied electricity to Luton Corporation Tramways from the opening of the system in 1908 until its closure in 1932.{{Cite book|last=Turner|first=Keith|title=The Directory of British Tramways.|publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd.|year=1996|isbn=1-85260-549-9|location=|pages=}}

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|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=12 January 2021|website=Legislation.gov.uk}} The Luton electricity undertaking was abolished, ownership of Luton power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).{{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, 73, 76}} At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Luton electricity undertaking were transferred to the Eastern Electricity Board (EEB).

Luton power station was closed in 1969.{{Cite web|last=Cotswold Archaeology|date=28 October 2013|title=Power Court Site Luton Bedfordshire|url=https://legacy-reports.cotswoldarchaeology.co.uk/content/uploads/2017/07/660816-Power-Court-Site-Luton-Archaeological-Watching-Brief-2017.04.04.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=12 January 2021|website=}} The power station was demolished in 1972.

Equipment specification

=Plant in 1923=

By 1923 the plant comprised boilers delivering 166,000 lb/h (20.9 kg/s) of steam to:{{Cite book|last=Electricity Commissioners|title=Electricity Supply – 1920–23|publisher=HMSO|year=1925|isbn=|location=London|pages=58–61, 296–301}}

These machines had a total generating capacity of 7,400 kW; comprising 2,400 kW DC and 5,000 kW AC.

Electricity supply to consumers was at 250 and 500 V DC.

=Plant in 1954=

By 1954 the plant comprised:{{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-73 A-127, B-195–96}}

  • Boilers:
  • 2 × Woodeson 90,000 lb/h (11.34 kg/s) pulverised fuel boilers, steam conditions were 325 psi and 700 °F (22.4 bar and 371 °C), steam was supplied to:
  • Generators:
  • 1 × 5 MW Brush-Ljungstrom 6.6 kV turbo-alternator
  • 1 × 7 MW Brush-Ljungstrom 6.6 kV turbo-alternator
  • 1 × 11 MW Brush-Ljungstrom 6.6 kV turbo-alternator

The total generating capacity was 23 MW and the output capacity was 13 MW.

Condenser water was cooled in two Mouchel reinforced concrete cooling towers each with a capacity of 1.0 million gallons per hour (4,546 m3/hour).

The boilers were converted to oil firing in 1965.CEGB Statistical Yearbook, 1964,1965, 1967

Operations

=Operating data 1921–23=

The electricity supply data for the period 1921–23 was:

class="wikitable"

|+Luton power station supply data 1921–23

! rowspan="2" |Electricity Use

! rowspan="2" |Units

! colspan="3" |Year

1921

!1922

!1923

Lighting and domestic

|MWh

|2,223

|2,350

|3,076

Public lighting

|MWh

|5

|10

|14

Traction

|MWh

|366

|300

|326

Power

|MWh

|8,014

|6,283

|8,224

Bulk supply

|MWh

|0

|0

|656

Total use

|MWh

|10,608

|8,943

|12,197

The electricity Loads on the system were:

class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" |Year

|1921

|1922

|1923

Maximum load

!kW

|6,315

|5,646

|6,300

Total connections

!kW

|16,080

|16,500

|17,337

Load factor

!Per cent

|21.6

|20.5

|26.9

Revenue from the sale of current (in 1923) was £75,852; the surplus of revenue over expenses was £33,664.

=Operating data 1946=

In 1946 Luton power station supplied 30,831 MWh of electricity; the maximum output load was 18,390 kW; the load factor was 49.5 per cent; the thermal efficiency was 14.60 per cent.Electricity Commissioners Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946 HMSO 1947 p.11

=Operating data 1954–67=

Operating data for the period 1954–67 was:CEGB Annual Report 1961, 1962, 1963

class="wikitable"

|+Luton power station operating data, 1954–67

!Year

!Running hours (or load factor %)

!Max output capacity, MW

!Electricity supplied, MWh

!Thermal efficiency per cent

1954

|1787

|20

|18,455

|13.51

1955

|2326

|20

|21,219

|13.36

1956

|2617

|20

|24,669

|13.42

1957

|2065

|18

|18,207

|12.78

1958

|2440

|18

|24,451

|12.95

1961

|5.6 %

|13

|6,373

|13.82

1962

|11.5 %

|13

|13,140

|14.13

1963

|12.13 %

|13

|13,809

|13.50

1964

|3.52 %

|13

|4,019

|14.33

1965

|17.6 %

|13

|21,585

|15.88

1967

|9.2 %

|14

|11,224

|13.09

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Luton Electricity District

Following nationalisation in 1948 Luton power station became part of the Luton electricity supply district, covering 200 square miles (518 km2) with a population of 193,800 in 1958.

The number of consumers and electricity sold in the Luton district was:

class="wikitable"

!Year

|1956

|1957

|1958

Number of consumers

|61,172

|53,551

|63,949

Electricity sold MWh

|458,223

|492,340

|567,425

In 1958 the number of units sold to categories of consumers was:

class="wikitable"

! Type of consumer

! No. of consumers

! Electricity sold MWh

Domestic

|59,164

|113,972

Commercial

|4,164

|31,828

Combined premises

|1,582

|8,207

Industrial

|1,382

|404,930

Farms

|781

|6,181

Public lighting

|17

|2,307

Total

|67,090

|567,425

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [https://www.lutonheritageforum.org/exhibitions/people/eminent-historians/luton-past-chapter-4-the-utilities-by-ken-cooper Luton Past - Chapter 4 - The Utilities - by Ken Cooper] The story of Luton's gas, railway, water and electricity services

Category:Coal-fired power stations in England

Category:Demolished power stations in the United Kingdom