Thorpe Marsh Power Station
{{Short description|Former coal-fired power station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Thorpe Marsh Power Station
| image = Towers of Thorpe Marsh.jpg
| image_caption = Thorpe Marsh power station's cooling towers
| coordinates = {{coord|53.580602|-1.08534|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| location_map_zoom = 7
| country = England
| location = South Yorkshire, Yorkshire and the Humber
| operator = Central Electricity Generating Board
(1963-1990)
National Power
(1990-1994)
| th_fuel_primary = Coal
| th_fuel_tertiary = Heavy Fuel Oil
| ps_electrical_capacity = 1,100 MW
| construction_began = 1959
| commissioned = 1963{{cite news|title=Nostalgia on Tuesday: Towering presence|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/arts-and-culture/nostalgia-tuesday-towering-presence-1760887|access-date=30 October 2021|work=The Yorkshire Post|date=19 June 2018}}
| decommissioned = 1994
| extra = {{gbmapping|SE605097}}
}}
Thorpe Marsh Power Station was a 1 GW coal-fired power station near Barnby Dun in South Yorkshire, England. The station was commissioned in 1963 and closed in 1994.{{cite web|title=Thorpe Marsh CCGT Power Station – Environment Statement |url=http://thorpemarshpower.ww2.consultationonline.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/07/Thorpe-Marsh-CCGT-PS-ES-Vol-2-Main-Text-2.pdf|access-date=30 October 2021|page=203|date=September 2010}} In 2011, permission was given for the construction of a gas-fired power station on the site.
History
=Construction and operation, (1959–1994)=
Construction of the station began in 1959;{{cite web|title=Barnby Dun Village History|url=http://www.barnbydunoldschool.co.uk/html/history.html |website=Barnby Dun Community Association|access-date=30 October 2021}} it was built as a prototype for all the large modern power stations in the UK. It was commissioned between 1963 and 1965. Thorpe Marsh was one of the CEGB's twenty steam power stations with the highest thermal efficiency; in 1963–4 the thermal efficiency was 31.50 per cent, 32.76 per cent in 1964–5, and 33.09 per cent in 1965–6.{{cite book|last=CEGB|title=CEGB Statistical Yearbooks 1964, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1982|publisher=CEGB|year=1966|location=London|pages=26, 26, 20}}
There were 2 × 28 MW auxiliary gas turbines on the site, these had been commissioned in December 1966.{{cite book|last=The Electricity Council|title=Handbook of Electricity Supply Statistics|publisher=The Electricity Council|year=1990|isbn=085188122X|location=London|pages=8}}
The plant was officially opened in 1967.{{cite journal|journal=Engineering|title=Site-Assembled Transformer|volume=203|page=775|year =1967|publisher=Centaur Media|location=London|issn=0013-7758}}
The station contained two 550 MW generating units with cross compound turbines, supplied from a single boiler. Steam was supplied at {{convert|2300|psi|order=flip|abbr=on}} at {{convert|1050|F|order=flip|abbr=on}}.{{cite web|at=1963, p.87|title=Electricity Supply in the UK: A chronology|publisher=Electricity Council| year=c. 1987|url=http://www.etk.ee.kth.se/personal/nt/elecpow/history/electricity_supply_in_the_uk__a_chronology_ocrnopic.pdf|accessdate=26 August 2014}}
The annual electricity output of Thorpe Marsh was:
| class="wikitable"
|+Electricity output of Thorpe Marsh !Year |1963–4 |1964–5 |1965–6 |1966–7 |1971–2 |1978–9 |1981–2 |
| Electricity supplied, GWh
|581 |1,697 |1,803 |2,804 |3,660 |3,750 |4,296 |
|---|
On 7 January 1973, four workmen died. A coroner's report gave a verdict of accidental death; subsequently the Factory Inspectorate began legal proceedings against the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) for breaches in safety provisions.{{cite journal|title=Thorpe Marsh Power Station (Workmen's Deaths)|journal=Hansard – Written Answers (Commons)|date=5 March 1973|volume=852|at=c42W|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1973/mar/05/thorpe-marsh-power-station-workmens}}
After the privatisation of the CEGB in 1990, the station was operated by National Power. The station subsequently closed in 1994.{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalgrid.com/UK/library/documents/sys_03/dddownloaddisplay.asp?sp=sys_Table3_7|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205023032/http://www.nationalgrid.com/UK/library/documents/sys_03/dddownloaddisplay.asp?sp=sys_Table3_7|url-status=dead| archive-date=5 December 2012|title=Generation disconnections since 1991|year=2003|work=National Grid|accessdate=5 October 2009}}{{cite journal|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1993/jun/16/thorpe-marsh-power-station|journal=Hansard – House of Commons|date=16 June 1993 |volume=226|at=cc968-74|title=Thorpe Marsh Power Station}}
=Post closure (1994–)=
The {{convert|110|acre|ha|abbr=on|order=flip}} site was acquired by Able UK in 1995.{{cite web
|title = Thorpe Marsh
|work = Able UK
|url = http://www.ableuk.com/propertydev-thorpemarsh.htm
|accessdate = 26 August 2008
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080919105125/http://www.ableuk.com/propertydev-thorpemarsh.htm
|archive-date = 19 September 2008
}}
During the 2007 United Kingdom floods, the 400 kV substation at the site was temporarily shut down on 27 June, whilst the 275 kV substation was not affected; operational service was fully restored by early 28 June.{{cite book| title= Flooding: Fifth Report of Session 2007–08| volume = 2: Oral and Written Evidence| publisher = House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee| at = Ev 309–310, §20–33, "Memorandum Submitted by National Grid (FL 80)|date=7 May 2008|isbn=978-0-215-51488-2 }}
In October 2011, the Department of Energy and Climate Change approved the construction of a 1,500 MW combined cycle gas turbine power station at Thorpe Marsh by Thorpe Marsh Power Limited (parent Acorn Power Developments, see Acorn Energy) with an estimated cost of £984 million.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15519272 |title=Two power plants to create 1,000 jobs in Yorkshire|work=BBC News|accessdate=5 February 2015|date=31 October 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.modernpowersystems.com/news/newsthorpe-marsh-may-be-first-uk-flexefficiency-application |title=Thorpe Marsh may be first UK Flexefficiency application|date=9 November 2011|work=Modern Power Systems|accessdate=26 August 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://www.og.decc.gov.uk/EIP/pages/projects/ThorpeConsent.pdf |title=Department of Energy and Climate Change Construction and Operation of a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Electricity Generating Station at the Thorpe Marsh, Barnby Dun, Doncaster|work=www.og.decc.gov.uk|date=31 October 2011|accessdate=26 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205144236/https://www.og.decc.gov.uk/EIP/pages/projects/ThorpeConsent.pdf |archive-date=5 December 2011}} Thorpe Marsh Power Limited proposed an initial capacity of 960 MW. The proposed development would also require the construction of an {{convert|18|km|adj=on|abbr=on}} gas pipeline from Camblesforth;{{cite web| url=http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/yorkshire-and-the-humber/thorpe-marsh-gas-pipeline/?ipcsection=overview |title=Thorpe Marsh Gas Pipeline|accessdate=26 August 2014|work=infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140827034816/http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/yorkshire-and-the-humber/thorpe-marsh-gas-pipeline/?ipcsection=overview |archive-date=27 August 2014}} the gas pipeline was approved in 2016.{{cite web |title=The Thorpe Marsh Gas Pipeline Order 2016 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/297/schedule/1/made |website=www.legislation.gov.uk |language=en |date=2016}}
Able UK demolished the original power station's cooling towers in 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.ableuk.com/sites/land-sites/thorpe-marsh/ |title=ABLE Thorpe Marsh|work=Able UK|accessdate=26 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004142328/http://www.ableuk.com/sites/land-sites/thorpe-marsh/ |archive-date=4 October 2014}}{{cite web |title=Thorpe Marsh Power Station Cooling Towers, Doncaster |url=https://www.theviewfromthenorth.org/thorpe-marsh-power-station |website=www.theviewfromthenorth.org}}
In 2022 plans were unveiled to build a 1.4 GW{{cite web|title=One of world's largest battery hubs could store North Sea wind power at old UK coal plant|url=https://www.rechargenews.com/energy-transition/one-of-worlds-largest-battery-hubs-could-store-north-sea-wind-power-at-old-uk-coal-plant/2-1-1336736 |access-date=14 October 2023|website=Recharge News}} / 3.1 GWh battery energy storage system on the site, named the "Thorpe Marsh Energy Park". A 1 GW / 2 GWh battery is also planned at the adjacent Almholme site.{{cite web |last1=Maisch |first1=Marija |title=Fidra secures consent for 3.1 GWh British battery |url=https://www.ess-news.com/2025/01/30/fidra-secures-consent-for-3-1-gwh-british-battery/ |website=Energy Storage |date=30 January 2025}} Local news sources have highlighted the projects' potential in repurposing the old power station's infrastructure.{{cite web|title=Plans for former Thorpe Marsh Power Station to be turned into green energy hub|url=https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/business/plans-for-former-thorpe-marsh-power-station-to-be-turned-into-green-energy-hub-3884398 |access-date=14 October 2023|website=Doncaster Free Press}}
References
{{reflist}}
=Further reading=
- {{cite book| title = Thorpe Marsh 1965. A guide to Thorpe Marsh Power Station| publisher = CEGB| year = 1965}}
- {{cite web| title =Thorpe Marsh| publisher = CEGB| url = https://www.flickr.com/photos/robdaniels/sets/72157624390102313/|year = 1967}}
- {{cite magazine| title =The lights go out at Thorpe Marsh power station|magazine =Rail Magazine| first =John| last =Millar| date =June 1993}}
External links
{{Portal|England|Energy}}
{{commons category|Thorpe Marsh Power Station}}
- {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh7IbLUFpXQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/dh7IbLUFpXQ |archive-date=15 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Thorpe Marsh Final Two Cooling Towers Demolition 19th August 2012|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}
- {{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/robdaniels/collections/72157624514508500/|title=Thorpe Marsh: Requiem For a Power Station|first=Rob|last= Daniels|work=Flickr}}
- {{cite web|title = Thorpe Marsh Power Station|work=Urban Exploration in Doncaster, Yorkshire|url=http://www.derelicte.co.uk/thorpe-marsh-power-station | archive-date=9 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109032642/http://www.derelicte.co.uk/thorpe-marsh-power-station}} Images of derelict power station {{circa|2006}}.
- {{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjblackwell/sets/72157624771505005/|title=Thorpe Marsh Power Station|first=T.J.|last=Blackwell}} Images from {{circa|2010}}.
{{Yorkshire Powerstations}}
Category:Coal-fired power stations in England
Category:Buildings and structures in Doncaster