Sunderland Power Station
{{Short description|Former coal-fired power station}}
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Sunderland Power Station
| image =
| image_caption =
| name_official = Sunderland power station
| coordinates = {{coord|54.911609|-1.396324|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| country = England
| location = Tyne and Wear, North East England
| status = Decommissioned and demolished
| owner = Sunderland Corporation
(1901-1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1948-1976)
| operator = As owner
| employees =
| th_fuel_primary = Coal
| ps_units_operational =
| ps_units_manu_model =
| ps_electrical_capacity =
| ps_electrical_cap_fac =
| ps_annual_generation =
| construction_began = 1898
| commissioned = c.1900 (extended 1926){{cite news|last1=Cordner|first1=Chris|title=How The Lights Were First Switched On In Sunderland|url=https://www.sunderlandecho.com/lifestyle/retro/how-the-lights-were-first-switched-on-in-sunderland-1-8233482|access-date=17 September 2018 |agency=Sunderland Echo|date=11 November 2016}}
| decommissioned = 1976
| cost =
| extra = {{gbmapping|NZ388576}}
}}
Sunderland Power Station was a coal-fired power station situated on the bank of the River Wear, in the city centre of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, North East England. The station was initially built in 1901 by the Sunderland Corporation and had several extensions added.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/how-lights-were-first-switched-sunderland-364158|title=How lights were first switched on|website=Sunderland Echo|date=11 November 2016 |access-date=16 February 2020}}
History
In 1923 the plant comprised six 750 kW reciprocating machines, and 1 × 2,000 kW, 1 × 5,000 kW and 1 × 6,000 kW turbo-alternators, a total generating capacity of 17,500 kW.{{Cite book|last=Electricity Commission|title=Electricity Supply - 1920-1923|publisher=HMSO|year=1925|location=London|pages=90–93, 320–325}} These were supplied from boilers with a total output of 326,000 pounds per hour (41.1 kg/s) of steam. In 1923 the station generated 18.747 GWh of electricity, and sold 15.319 GWh for £128,326 making a surplus of revenue over profit of £56,559 for the Corporation.
New plant was added to the station in 1925-26 (LP sets) and in 1942 (HP sets) and some of the old plant was removed.{{Cite book|editor-last=Garrett|editor-first=Frederick C. |title=Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply|publisher=Electrical Press|year=1959|location=London|pages=A-98, A-135}} When completed the generating plant comprised two Brush 20 MW and two Fraser & Chalmers-GEC 10 MW turbo-alternators. The boiler plant comprised three Clarke Chapman 121,000 lb/hr, 450 psi and 850 °F (15.2 kg/s, 31.0 bar and 454 °C) ; two Clarke Chapman, two Vickers Spearing and two Spearing boilers each producing 50,000 lb/hr of steam at 260 psi and 660 °F (6.30 kg/s, 17.9 bar and 349 °C).
There was a concrete cooling tower with a capacity of 1.65 million gallons per hour (2.08 m3/s) and a wooden cooling tower with a capacity of 1.25 million gallons per hour (1.57 m3/s).
Upon nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948 ownership of the power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority (1948–55), then the Central Electricity Authority (1955–57), and the Central Electricity Generating Board (1958–76).
By 1971 the station had a generating capacity of 40 MW. The coal fired boilers had the capacity to deliver 363,000 lb/h (45.7 kg/s) of steam at 400 psi (27.6 bar) and 427 °C.{{Cite book|last=CEGB|title=CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1972|publisher=CEGB|year=1972|location=London|pages=15}}
The generating capacity and output from Sunderland power station is given in the following table.CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961, 1962 & 1963
| class="wikitable"
|+Sunderland electricity capacity and output !Year !1954 !1955 !1956 !1957 !1958 !1961 !1962 !1963 !1967 !1972 |
| Installed capacity, MW
|49 |49 |49 |49 |49 |60 |60 |60 |40 |40 |
|---|
| Electricity output, GWh
|142.96 |154.06 |123.21 |109.33 |118.12 |82.53 |129.79 |134.6 |59.1 |69.60 |
The station operated into the 1970s,{{Cite web
|url = http://sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_image.asp?digital_doc_id=4557
|title = Landscape photo looking through the Wearmouth Railway Bridge at the power station in the Ayres Quay area.
|access-date = 2008-12-28
|author = Stafford Linsley
|year = 1973
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110613015857/http://sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_image.asp?digital_doc_id=4557
|archive-date = 2011-06-13
}} but in October 1975, the Central Electricity Generating Board gave 12 months notification of the station's closure.{{cite web
|author = Mr. Eadie
|title = Power Stations
|url = https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1975/dec/05/power-stations#S5CV0901P0_19751205_CWA_441
|work = Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
|date = 5 December 1975
|access-date = 29 July 2009
}} It finally closed on 25 October 1976, with a generating capacity of 34 megawatts.{{cite web
|author = Mr. Redmond
|title = Coal-fired Power Stations
|url = https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1984/jan/16/coal-fired-power-stations#S6CV0052P0_19840116_CWA_281
|work = Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
|date = 16 January 1984
|access-date = 1 September 2009
}} The station was then demolished in 1979.{{Cite web
| url = http://www.wiki-north-east.co.uk/article.aspx?id=1642052
| title = THE Fred Dibnahs of this world are few and far between. They take their lives in their hands to bring down unwanted buildings in one fell swoop, or one almighty explosion.
| access-date = 2008-12-28
| last = Marshall
| first = Ray
| date = 3 April 2007
| publisher = Evening Chronicle
}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}} The cooling tower in particular was demolished in February of that year. The power station's site is now occupied by a PC World outlet.{{cite web
| author =((pinzac55))
| title =Sunderland Power Station Demolition (4) Feb 1979
| url =https://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3549153460/
| archive-url =https://archive.today/20130123222844/http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3549153460/
| url-status =dead
| archive-date =23 January 2013
| work =Flickr
| date =20 May 2009
| access-date =20 September 2009
}}
In 1962 the station was featured in L. S. Lowry's painting of Sunderland's dockside. The painting is now in the collection of Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens.{{cite web
|url = http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/sunderland/lowry/
|title = L S Lowry in the North East
|publisher = Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
|access-date = 7 May 2012
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120504143122/http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/sunderland/lowry/
|archive-date = 4 May 2012
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|England|Energy}}
{{Commons category}}
- [https://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3549138980/ Flickr] - photos of the station's cooling tower demolition
{{North East Power Stations}}
Category:Power stations in North East England
Category:Buildings and structures in the City of Sunderland