Newbury power station supplied electricity to the town of Newbury, Berkshire and the surrounding area from 1905 to 1970. It was owned and operated by a succession of public and private organisations. It comprised, at various times, hydro-electric, gas engine and diesel engine powered plant with a maximum output capacity of 2.57 MW.
The Board of Trade granted Newbury Corporation a Provisional Order in 1892 to generate and supply electricity to Newbury under the Electric Lighting Acts.[1] This was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 3) Act 1892 (55 & 56 Vict. c. xxxviii).[2] However, the town council did not develop the electricity undertaking.
In 1901 the Urban Electric Supply Company Limited obtained a Provisional Order to supply electricity to Newbury. The Urban Electric Supply Company was founded in 1898 to obtain Parliamentary powers to operate smaller electric light and tramway undertakings.[3] The company's Provisional Order for Newbury was confirmed by the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 7) Act 1901 (1 Edw. 7. c. clxxiv).[4]
The Urban Electric Supply Company built the power station at Greenham Mill (51° 24’ 07”N, 1° 18’ 53”W)[5] over the River Kennet and which opened in January 1905. It used water wheels to generate electricity; the maximum head of water over Greenham weir was 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 metres).[6] In addition to the hydro-electric plant, gas-fired generators were installed at the power station.[7]
Electricity was sold to customers in 1923 at 9.57 d./kWh for lighting and domestic use, and 3.26 d./kWh for power uses. The financial operating summary for the undertaking was as follows:[7]
In 1937 the Wessex Electricity Company, assumed ownership of several small municipal and company electricity undertakings, including Newbury. The Wessex company was founded in 1927 to distribute electricity across south-west England.[8] It aimed to modernise, rationalise and integrate the distribution networks of its constituent companies. Its share capital was wholly owned by Edmondson's Electricity Corporation Limited.
The water wheels and gas engines were decommissioned and replaced with diesel engine sets.[9]
The British electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6 c. 54).[10] The Newbury electricity undertaking was abolished, ownership of Newbury power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).[11] At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Newbury electricity undertaking were transferred to the Southern Electricity Board (SEB).
newbury, power, station, supplied, electricity, town, newbury, berkshire, surrounding, area, from, 1905, 1970, owned, operated, succession, public, private, organisations, comprised, various, times, hydro, electric, engine, diesel, engine, powered, plant, with. Newbury power station supplied electricity to the town of Newbury Berkshire and the surrounding area from 1905 to 1970 It was owned and operated by a succession of public and private organisations It comprised at various times hydro electric gas engine and diesel engine powered plant with a maximum output capacity of 2 57 MW Newbury power stationCountryEnglandLocationNewbury BerkshireCoordinates51 24 07 N 01 18 53 W 51 40194 N 1 31472 W 51 40194 1 31472StatusDecommissioned and demolishedCommission date1905Decommission date1970Owner s Urban Electric Supply Company Limited 1901 1937 Wessex Electricity Company 1937 1948 British Electricity Authority 1948 1955 Central Electricity Authority 1955 1957 Central Electricity Generating Board 1958 1970 Operator s As ownerThermal power stationPrimary fuelDiesel fuelTurbine technologyDiesel enginesPower generationUnits operational2 x 1050 kW 2 x 180 kW 1 x 110 kWNameplate capacity2 57 MWAnnual net output1762 MWh 1956 edit on Wikidata Contents 1 History 2 Plant equipment 2 1 Plant in 1923 2 2 Plant in 1955 3 Operations 3 1 Operations 1921 23 3 2 Operations 1946 67 4 See also 5 ReferencesHistory editThe Board of Trade granted Newbury Corporation a Provisional Order in 1892 to generate and supply electricity to Newbury under the Electric Lighting Acts 1 This was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation No 3 Act 1892 55 amp 56 Vict c xxxviii 2 However the town council did not develop the electricity undertaking In 1901 the Urban Electric Supply Company Limited obtained a Provisional Order to supply electricity to Newbury The Urban Electric Supply Company was founded in 1898 to obtain Parliamentary powers to operate smaller electric light and tramway undertakings 3 The company s Provisional Order for Newbury was confirmed by the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation No 7 Act 1901 1 Edw 7 c clxxiv 4 The Urban Electric Supply Company built the power station at Greenham Mill 51 24 07 N 1 18 53 W 5 over the River Kennet and which opened in January 1905 It used water wheels to generate electricity the maximum head of water over Greenham weir was 6 feet 11 inches 2 11 metres 6 In addition to the hydro electric plant gas fired generators were installed at the power station 7 Electricity was sold to customers in 1923 at 9 57 d kWh for lighting and domestic use and 3 26 d kWh for power uses The financial operating summary for the undertaking was as follows 7 Newbury electricity undertaking financial summary 1922 23 Year 1922 1923 Expenditure charged to capital account 72 204 71 992 Revenue from sale of current 11 106 12 293 Total revenue from working 11 850 13 040 Total working costs 6 114 6 250 Surplus of revenue over expenses 5 488 6 556 Gross surplus 5 564 6 664 In 1937 the Wessex Electricity Company assumed ownership of several small municipal and company electricity undertakings including Newbury The Wessex company was founded in 1927 to distribute electricity across south west England 8 It aimed to modernise rationalise and integrate the distribution networks of its constituent companies Its share capital was wholly owned by Edmondson s Electricity Corporation Limited The water wheels and gas engines were decommissioned and replaced with diesel engine sets 9 The British electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 10 amp 11 Geo 6 c 54 10 The Newbury electricity undertaking was abolished ownership of Newbury power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board CEGB 11 At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Newbury electricity undertaking were transferred to the Southern Electricity Board SEB Newbury power station closed in about 1970 12 Plant equipment editPlant in 1923 edit The generating plant at Newbury in 1923 comprised 7 1 52 kW water wheel and direct current generator 1 60 kW water wheel DC generator 2 80 kW gas engines DC generator 2 200 kW gas engines DC generator This gave a total output of 672 kW Electricity was provided to customers at 480 and 240 Volts direct current 7 Plant in 1955 edit The generating plant at Newbury in 1955 comprised 9 1 110 kW diesel engine set DC 500 volts 2 180 kW diesel engine set DC 500 volts 1 1050 kW Ruston Peebles diesel engine set 11 kV installed December 1954 1 1050 kW Ruston Peebles diesel engine set 11 kV installed January 1955 The total generating capacity was 2 57 MW 9 Operations editOperations 1921 23 edit Electricity supply data for 1921 23 was 7 Newbury power station electricity supply data 1921 23 Electricity Use Units Year 1921 1922 1923 Lighting and domestic MWh 183 165 186 Public lighting MWh 0 0 0 Power MWh 409 363 360 Bulk supply MWh 0 0 0 Total use MWh 592 528 546 Electricity Loads on the system were 7 Year 1921 1922 1923 Maximum load kW 300 298 348 Total connections kW 1593 1664 1746 Load factor Per cent 25 9 25 0 22 2 Operations 1946 67 edit The operating data for Newbury power station was 9 13 14 Newbury power station operating data 1946 67 Year Running hours or load factor per cent Max output capacity kW Electricity supplied MWh Thermal efficiency per cent 1946 187 1954 725 520 227 60 2 1955 467 2620 760 62 1 1956 954 2620 1762 70 5 1957 312 2570 547 68 2 1958 564 2570 1055 72 8 1961 2 6 3000 584 31 99 1962 3 1 3000 695 32 17 1963 5 10 2000 1339 32 40 1967 14 7 3880 4940 31 74See also editTimeline of the UK electricity supply industry List of power stations in EnglandReferences edit Garcke Emile 1898 Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898 99 vol 3 London P S King and Son p 254 Local Acts 1892 legislation gov uk Retrieved 7 December 2020 Urban Electric Supply The Times 31 July 1905 Local Acts 1901 legislation gov uk Retrieved 7 December 2020 Ordnance Survey 25 inch England and Wales Berkshire XLIII 1 Greenham Newbury revised 1932 published 1934 Nicholson 2014 Waterways Guide River Thames and the Southern Waterways Glasgow Nicholson p 99 ISBN 9780007493814 a b c d e f Electricity Commissioners 1925 Electricity Supply 1920 23 London HMSO pp 212 215 496 501 Wessex Electricity Company The Times 9 June 1939 p 19 a b c d Garrett Frederick 1959 Garcke s Manual of Electricity Supply vol 56 London Electrical Press pp A 79 A 143 Electricity Act 1947 legislation gov uk Retrieved 6 December 2020 Electricity Council 1987 Electricity supply in the United Kingdom a Chronology London Electricity Council pp 60 69 73 ISBN 085188105X The station is listed in the CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1967 but not in the 1972 edition Electricity Commissioners 1947 Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946 London HMSO p 15 CEGB Annual Report 1961 63 CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1967 1972 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Newbury power station amp oldid 1114097927, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
