Sutton Bridge Power Station

{{Infobox power station

| name = Sutton Bridge Power Station

| image = Power Station - geograph.org.uk - 658408.jpg

| image_caption = Sutton Bridge power station

| coordinates = {{coord|52.7572|0.19316|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| location_map_zoom = 7

| country = England

| location = Lincolnshire, East Midlands

| status = M

| operator = General Electric

| th_fuel_primary = Natural gas

| th_fuel_tertiary =

| commissioned = May 1999

| decommissioned = August 2020

| extra = {{gbmapping|TF 480 199}}

}}

Sutton Bridge Power Station is an 819 MW gas-fired power station in Sutton Bridge in the south-east of Lincolnshire in South Holland, England. It is situated on Centenary Way close to the River Nene. It is a major landmark on the Lincolnshire and Norfolk border and on clear days with its bright red lights it can be easily seen as far away as Hunstanton.

History

It was built by Enron at a cost of £337 million in May 1999 trading under the name of Sutton Bridge Power. It was constructed by Enron Engineering & Construction and designed by Stone & Webster with help from Atlantic Projects in building the steam turbine.{{cite web|url=http://www.atlanticprojects.com/experience.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070826162221/http://www.atlanticprojects.com/experience.html|archive-date=26 August 2007|title=Turbine and Generator Installations|publisher=Atlantic Projects Company}} In September 1999, it put the plant up for sale as the cost of electricity had plummeted, being uneconomic to generate.{{cite news|last1=Teather|first1=David|title=US utility Enron puts Sutton Bridge powerplant up for sale |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/1999/sep/01/enron.utilities|access-date=29 October 2021|work=The Guardian|date=1 September 1999}} Enron already had another large CCGT power station on Teesside (which was the largest in Europe at that time).

In March 2000, the plant was bought by London Electricity, a division of EDF Energy for £156 million.{{cite news|url=http://www.edfenergy.com/html/showPage.do?name=edfenergy.media.archive.item.til&cmsPage=/opencms/export/www.edfenergy.com/media/archive/20000309.html|title=London Electricity Buys Sutton Bridge Power Station|date=9 March 2000|website=EDF Energy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060320113206/http://www.edfenergy.com/html/showPage.do?name=edfenergy.media.archive.item.til&cmsPage=/opencms/export/www.edfenergy.com/media/archive/20000309.html|archive-date=20 March 2006}} The plant employs thirty five people and is run by General Electric International. The power plant has the capacity to supply 2% of the electricity for England and Wales.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/edf-to-sell-two-power-stations-1207904.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/edf-to-sell-two-power-stations-1207904.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=EDF to sell two power stations|work=The Independent|date=22 December 2008|first=Holly|last=Williams}}

Since September 2001, it has had a visitor centre for school children. When driving nearby to the north on the A17, the landmark is a dividing point between Lincolnshire and Norfolk.

EDF Energy announced in 2008 that it would sell Sutton Bridge to overcome objections to its takeover of British Energy. A consortium led by Macquarie Group purchased the site in 2012 for an undisclosed sum,{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/energy-britain-power-idUSL5E8NC94520121212|title=EDF sells UK Sutton Bridge power station to Macquarie-led group|work=Reuters|date=12 December 2012|access-date=12 November 2023}} and General Electric were appointed to operate and maintain the plant in 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.power-technology.com/news/newsge-to-upgrade-calon-energys-800mw-sutton-bridge-power-plant-in-uk-4646446/?cf-view&cf-closed|title=GE to upgrade Calon Energy’s 800MW Sutton Bridge power plant in UK|website=power-technology.com|date=12 August 2015|access-date=12 November 2023|quote=GE has been responsible for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the power station under a multiyear services agreement from 2013.}}

Macquarie later spunout the power plant owning part of the business as Calon Energy in 2015.{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/06019284-462a-11e8-8ee8-cae73aab7ccb|title=Macquarie considering sale of Calon Energy plants|work=Financial Times|url-access=subscription}} In April 2018, Macquarie was reported to be considering selling Calon Energy, including the Sutton Bridge plant.{{cite news|last=Collingridge|first=John|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/macquarie-weighs-up-sale-of-calon-energy-power-stations-x5fs2m5bw|title=Macquarie weighs up sale of Calon Energy power stations|work=The Sunday Times|url-access=subscription|date=22 April 2018|access-date=12 November 2023}} However, it was still the owner at the time Calon Energy went into administration in June 2020.{{cite web|last=Kirong|first=Nephele|url=https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/uk-gas-plant-operator-calon-energy-enters-administration-8211-bbc-news-59197223|title=UK gas plant operator Calon Energy enters administration – BBC News |website=S&P Global Market Intelligence|date=25 June 2020|access-date=12 November 2023}}

In August 2020, it was reported that the plant was to be mothballed following Calon Energy entering administration.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-53895806|title=Calon Energy's administrators put two power plants in 'dormant state'|date=24 August 2020|work=BBC News}} As of April 2022, the plant remained inactive, with "at least four months" worth of work reportedly required in order to bring it back to operational condition.{{cite news|last=Brookes|first=Andrew|url=https://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/power-station-would-take-four-months-to-restart-9248803/|title=Mothballed Sutton Bridge Power Station would take at least four months to become operational again|work=Spalding Today|date=8 April 2022|access-date=12 November 2023}}

Sutton Bridge Power Station returned to service in December 2023.{{cite web |title=Mothballed 832 MW UK gas plant begins restart procedure {{!}} Montel News – English |url=https://montelnews.com/news/1532996/mothballed-832-mw-uk-gas-plant-begins-restart-procedure |access-date=20 January 2025 |website=montelnews.com}}

Specifications

The power station is a CCGT type, with two General Electric Frame 9 (9FA+){{cite web|title=9F gas turbine |url=http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/gas_turbines_cc/en/f_class/ms9001fa.htm|website=GE Gas Power|access-date=29 October 2021}} gas turbines powered with natural gas.{{cite web|url=https://www.ge.com/news/press-releases/ge-upgrades-uk-power-plant-help-increase-sites-energy-output-and-competitiveness|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825214702/https://www.ge.com/news/press-releases/ge-upgrades-uk-power-plant-help-increase-sites-energy-output-and-competitiveness|archive-date=25 August 2020|title=GE Upgrades to UK Power Plant to Help Increase the Site's Energy Output and Competitiveness While Reducing Costs|publisher=General Electric|date=11 August 2015}}

The exhaust gas heats a heat recovery steam generator, made by the Dutch company Standard Fasel Lentjes which was bought by NEM,{{cite web|title=N.E.M. Group|url=http://www.nem-group.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030707023630/http://www.nem-group.com/ |archive-date=7 July 2003}} which powers a GE 280 MW steam turbine. The electrical generators were also built by GE, which connect to the National Grid at 400 kV.

References

External links

[http://www.edfenergy.com/html/showPage.do?name=edfenergy.energy.sutton.til EDF Energy page]
[http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090718121303/http%3A//www.industcards.com/cc%2Dengland%2Dnorth.htm CCGTs in northern England]

Category:Natural gas-fired power stations in England

Category:Power stations in Lincolnshire

Category:Power stations in the East Midlands