Portobello Power Station
{{Short description|Former coal-fired power station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Portobello Power Station
| location = Portobello, Edinburgh
| image = File:Original gate from site of Portobello Power Station close up.jpg
| image_caption = The original gate of Portobello Power Station
| coordinates = {{coord|55.9562|-3.1199|display=inline,title|type:landmark_scale:5000_region:GB}}
| name_official =
| country = Scotland
| status = Decommissioned and demolished
| construction_began =
| commissioned = 1923
| decommissioned = 1977
| cost =
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| operator =
| th_fuel_primary = Coal
| th_fuel_secondary =
| th_fuel_tertiary =
| ps_units_operational =
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| website =
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Portobello Power Station was a coal-fired power station in Portobello, Edinburgh which was built in 1923 by the Edinburgh Corporation in order to cope with the increasing demand for electricity in the city.{{Cite news|url=https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/lost-edinburgh-portobello-power-station-1-2969092|title=Lost Edinburgh: Portobello Power Station|access-date=2018-04-14|language=en}}
History
Although originally intended to be built in 1913, its construction was delayed because of the First World War, and it was formally opened by King George V 10 years later in July 1923.{{Cite news|url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/portobello/remember-when-portobello-power-station-s-power-and-glory-1-4152247|title=Remember When: Portobello Power Station's power and glory|access-date=2018-04-14|language=en}}{{Cite book|title=Portobello Power Station|publisher=British Electrical Authority S.E. Scotland Division|year=1950|pages=2}} Its electricity was used to power Edinburgh and the surrounding region while waste heat warmed the water of Portobello Open Air Pool. At that time the turbine room contained three 12,500 kW turbines fed by six tri-drum water-tube boilers with integral superheaters and superposed economisers, each designed for a maximum continuous capacity of 80,000 lb. of steam per hour. In 1925 the plant was supplemented by a further 12,500 kW turbine. In 1927 two Brown Boveri 31,250MW turbines were added. These were accommodated in extensions to the 1923 building and also include eight more boilers.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_engineer_1930-05-09_149_3878/page/524/mode/2up?view=theater |title=The Engineer 1930-05-09: Vol 149 Iss 3878 |date=1930-05-09 |others=Internet Archive |language=English}}
In 1938 the design of the station was extended by Edinburgh architect Ebenezer James MacRae; its six individual chimneys were replaced with a single 365 feet tall stack,[https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/giant-lost-edinburgh-power-station-23024851 The giant lost Edinburgh power station that once dominated the city skyline], Edinburgh Live, 8 February 2022 which weighed 10,000 tons, was made up of 710,000 bricks{{Cite news|title=Some 'Lum!'|date=23 September 1948|work=Edinburgh Evening News}} and cost in the region of £118,000 to build.{{Cite news|title=Edinburgh's great new landmark|date=January 1954|work=The Evening News}}
Between 1952 and 1955, the power station achieved the highest thermal efficiency of any station in the UK, with peak output of around 279 megawatts,{{Cite news|title=City landmark bows out with a bang|date=18 December 1978|work=The Scotsman}} although an explosion in February 1953 led to a two-hour power blackout across Edinburgh. The explosion, which could be heard a mile away, was caused by sea spray collecting on high-voltage insulators in the main-grid substation.{{Cite news|title=2-hour black-out in Edinburgh|date=14 February 1953|work=The Scotsman}}
The power station closed on 31 March 1977{{Cite news|title=A pile of rubble that was once a landmark|date=17 July 1980|work=Evening News}} and demolished in 1980; a new housing estate was built on the site. During demolition, the chimney had to be taken down brick by brick because of its proximity to nearby houses.{{Cite news|title=Brick by Brick|date=11 May 1978|work=The Evening News}}
The Portobello coat-of-arms on the power station was rescued during demolition and it was planned to incorporate it into a new sports centre to be built in the area.{{Cite news|title=Coat of Arms|date=February 1991|work=Portobello Reporter}} This never happened and in 2016 the broken coat of arms was located in a City of Edinburgh Council storage facility in the west of Edinburgh.{{Cite web|url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/portobello/calls-to-restore-city-coat-of-arms-torn-down-from-portobello-power-station-1-4148898|title=Calls to restore city coat of arms torn down from Portobello power station|website=www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com|date=8 June 2016 |language=en|access-date=2019-06-29}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://canmore.org.uk/site/119837/ Edinburgh, Portobello High Street, Electricity Generating Station at Canmore.org.uk]
{{commons category}}
Category:1923 establishments in Scotland
Category:1977 disestablishments in Scotland
Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1923
Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 1980
Category:Former power stations in Scotland
Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Scotland