Wolverhampton power station, also known as Commercial Road power station, supplied electricity to the Borough of Wolverhampton, England and the surrounding area from 1895 to 1976. It was redeveloped in several stages to meet growing demand for electricity: including the addition of new plant in 1902 to 1908, 1925 and 1942. The power station was initially owned and operated by Wolverhampton Corporation, but was transferred to the West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority in 1928. The British Electricity Authority assumed ownership at nationalisation in 1948. Wolverhampton power station was decommissioned in 1976.
In 1883 Wolverhampton Corporation applied for a provisional order[1] under the Electric Lighting Acts to generate and supply electricity to the town. This was granted by the Board of Trade, however, no construction work was undertaken and a further provisional order was obtained in 1890.[2] The power station was built in Commercial Road (52°34'54"N 2°06'54"W 52°34′54″N2°06′54″W / 52.58167°N 2.11500°W / 52.58167; -2.11500) and was adjacent to the Wolverhampton Level canal for the delivery of coal. It first supplied electricity on 30 January 1895.[3]
Equipment specificationEdit
Original plant 1895Edit
The original 1895 plant at Wolverhampton power station comprised Marshall's horizontal compound engines coupled by ropes to Electric Construction Company and Parker dynamos, together with a Belliss engine coupled directly to a Parker dynamo. In 1898 the generating capacity was 632 kW and the maximum load on the system was 318 kW.[4]
New plant 1902–04Edit
New plant was installed from 1902, partly to supply the local tramway system. By 1908 the capacity was 6 MW there were two Babcock & Wilcox 20,000 lb/h (2.52 kg/s) boilers, two 1 MW turbo-alternators.[5] By 1913 there was 3 MW of direct current generating plant and 4 MW of alternating current generation.[3]
In 1904 a refuse destructor was built in Crown Street, this generated steam to drive two 125 kW generators. Further plant was added to the destructor plant bringing the generating capacity up to 750 kW (1913) and 1 MW (1921). This comprised one 500 kW AC turbine and one 500 kW DC turbine.[6]
In 1925 the DC generators were scrapped and two 7.5 MW turbo-alternators were commissioned.[3] This brought the capacity of the station to 23 MW.[3]
Plant in 1942Edit
New plant was commissioned in 1942, comprising:[7]
Boilers:
4 × Thompson La Mont stoker fired boilers each capable of producing 120,000 lb/h (15.1 kg/s), steam conditions 440 psi and 850 °F (30.3 bar, 454 °C),which supplied steam to:
Condenser cooling water was cooled in a single Hennibique reinforced concrete cooling tower with a capacity of 1.5 million gallons per hour (1.89 m3/s).[7]
OperationsEdit
Operational data for the station was as follows.
In 1898 maximum electricity demand was 318 kW.[4] There were 208 customers supplied with a total of 211,777 kWh of electricity plus 79,438 kWh for public lamps. The revenue from the sales of current was £6,139 offset by generating costs of £2,211.[4]
Wolverhampton power station operating data 1921–23
Electricity Use
Units
Year
1921
1922
1923
Lighting and domestic
MWh
2,478
2,832
3,071
Public lighting
MWh
244
239
275
Traction
MWh
2,366
2,164
2,437
Power
MWh
16,240
10,522
14,088
Bulk supply
MWh
231
452
7,068
Total use
MWh
21,599
16,209
26,940
Load and connected load
Maximum load
kW
10,125
9,361
11,735
Total connections
kW
23,130
24,255
29,365
Load factor
Per cent
31.5
28.0
32.1
Financial
Revenue from sales of current
£
–
156,349
169,852
Surplus of revenue over expenses
£
–
63,573
79,523
Ownership of Wolverhampton power station was transferred to the West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority in 1928.[5]
Operating data 1934–6Edit
The station capacity and output in the mid-1930s was:[8]
Wolverhampton station capacity and output 1934–36
1934–35
1935–36
Plant capacity MW
30.0
30.0
Maximum load MW
22.0
30.2
Maximum demand load factor %
22.3
13.0
Electricity generated MWh
42,999
34,568
Electricity sold MWh
39,578
31,857
Supply to Wolverhampton Corporation MWh
130,501
149,325
Operating data 1946Edit
Wolverhampton power station operating data in 1946 was:[9]
Wolverhampton power station operating data, 1946
Year
Load factor per cent
Max output load MW
Electricity supplied MWh
Thermal efficiency per cent
1946
32.2
44,400
125,271
19.26
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 Wolverhampton electricity undertaking and the West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority were abolished. Ownership of Wolverhampton 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 Wolverhampton electricity undertaking were transferred to the Midlands Electricity Board (MEB).[11]
Operating data 1954–72Edit
Operating data for the period 1954–72 was:[7][12][13]
Wolverhampton power station operating data, 1954–72
Year
Running hours or load factor (per cent)
Max output capacity MW
Electricity supplied GWh
Thermal efficiency per cent
1954
3581
28
84.628
21.00
1955
5033
28
122.040
20.25
1956
4473
28
104.673
19.47
1957
4077
28
90.982
19.62
1958
2983
28
71.355
20.17
1961
(25.0 %)
28
61.305
20.20
1962
(10.7 %)
28
26.325
20.14
1963
(1.74 %)
28
4.274
18.34
1967
(22.6%)
28
55.32
18.54
1972
(24.1 %)
28
59.296
20.2
The electricity output in GWh of the station was as shown.
Wolverhampton was an electricity supply district covering 106 square miles (275 km2) and a population of 191,500.[7] It encompassed the County Borough of Wolverhampton, and parts of the districts of Tettenhall, Cannock, Seisdon, Shifnal and Bridgnorth. The number of consumers and electricity sold was:[7]
Year
1956
1957
1958
Number of consumers
62,943
64,354
65,353
Electricity sold MWh
475,606
492,667
523,067
Closure and reuseEdit
Wolverhampton power station was decommissioned on 25 October 1976.[14] The main buildings have been adapted to commercial use.
^Confirmed by parliament in the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 2) Act 1883 (46 & 47 Vict. c. ccxiv).
^Confirmed by parliament in the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation Act 1890 (54 & 55 Vict. c. clxxxvi).
^ abcde"The Commercial Road Power Station". from the original on 13 January 2012.
^ abcGarcke, Emile (1898). Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898-99 vol. 3. London: P. S. King and Son. pp. 345–47.
^ abTucker, D. G. (1977). "Electricity generating stations for public supply in the West Midlands 1888–1977" (PDF). outsideecho. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
^Electricity Commissioners (1947). Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946. London: HMSO. p. 15.
^"Electricity Act 1947". legislation.gov.uk. 1947. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
^ abElectricity Council (1987). Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. pp. 45, 60, 69, 73. ISBN085188105X.
^CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961, 1962 & 1963
^Central Electricity Generating Board (1972). CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1972. London: Central Electricity Generating Board. p. 13.
^House of Commons. Written answers, Coal-fired power stations, 16 January 1964
October 25, 2023
wolverhampton, power, station, wolverhampton, power, station, also, known, commercial, road, power, station, supplied, electricity, borough, wolverhampton, england, surrounding, area, from, 1895, 1976, redeveloped, several, stages, meet, growing, demand, elect. Wolverhampton power station also known as Commercial Road power station supplied electricity to the Borough of Wolverhampton England and the surrounding area from 1895 to 1976 It was redeveloped in several stages to meet growing demand for electricity including the addition of new plant in 1902 to 1908 1925 and 1942 The power station was initially owned and operated by Wolverhampton Corporation but was transferred to the West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority in 1928 The British Electricity Authority assumed ownership at nationalisation in 1948 Wolverhampton power station was decommissioned in 1976 Wolverhampton power stationCountryEnglandLocationWolverhamptonCoordinates52 34 54 N 02 06 54 W 52 58167 N 2 11500 W 52 58167 2 11500StatusDecommissionedConstruction began1894Commission date1895Decommission date1976Construction cost 32 000Owner s Wolverhampton Corporation 1894 1928 West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority 1928 1948 British Electricity Authority 1948 1955 Central Electricity Authority 1955 1957 Central Electricity Generating Board 1958 1976 Operator s As ownerThermal power stationPrimary fuelCoalTurbine technologySteam turbinesChimneys1 brick 115 feet 35 m 1 steel 175 feet 53 m Cooling towers1 concreteCooling sourceCirculating waterPower generationUnits operational1 30 MW from 1942 Make and modelBrush LjungstromNameplate capacity30 MWAnnual net output125 271 GWh 1946 edit on Wikidata Contents 1 History 2 Equipment specification 2 1 Original plant 1895 2 2 New plant 1902 04 2 3 Plant in 1923 2 4 Plant in 1942 3 Operations 3 1 Operating data 1921 23 3 2 Operating data 1934 6 3 3 Operating data 1946 3 4 Operating data 1954 72 4 Closure and reuse 5 See also 6 ReferencesHistory EditIn 1883 Wolverhampton Corporation applied for a provisional order 1 under the Electric Lighting Acts to generate and supply electricity to the town This was granted by the Board of Trade however no construction work was undertaken and a further provisional order was obtained in 1890 2 The power station was built in Commercial Road 52 34 54 N 2 06 54 W 52 34 54 N 2 06 54 W 52 58167 N 2 11500 W 52 58167 2 11500 and was adjacent to the Wolverhampton Level canal for the delivery of coal It first supplied electricity on 30 January 1895 3 Equipment specification EditOriginal plant 1895 Edit The original 1895 plant at Wolverhampton power station comprised Marshall s horizontal compound engines coupled by ropes to Electric Construction Company and Parker dynamos together with a Belliss engine coupled directly to a Parker dynamo In 1898 the generating capacity was 632 kW and the maximum load on the system was 318 kW 4 New plant 1902 04 Edit New plant was installed from 1902 partly to supply the local tramway system By 1908 the capacity was 6 MW there were two Babcock amp Wilcox 20 000 lb h 2 52 kg s boilers two 1 MW turbo alternators 5 By 1913 there was 3 MW of direct current generating plant and 4 MW of alternating current generation 3 In 1904 a refuse destructor was built in Crown Street this generated steam to drive two 125 kW generators Further plant was added to the destructor plant bringing the generating capacity up to 750 kW 1913 and 1 MW 1921 This comprised one 500 kW AC turbine and one 500 kW DC turbine 6 Plant in 1923 Edit By 1923 the generating plant comprised 6 Coal fired boilers generating up to 360 000 lb h 45 4 kg s of steam which was supplied Generators 1 1 000 kW steam turbo alternator 1 2 000 kW steam turbo alternator 1 4 000 kW steam turbo alternator 3 5 000 kW steam turbo alternatorsThese machines gave a total generating capacity of 22 MW of alternating current 6 In addition the adjacent refuse destructor plant had a 500 kW turbine generating direct current 3 Electricity was supplied to consumers at 6 3 phase 50 Hz AC at 400 amp 230 Volts Direct current at 440 amp 220 VoltsIn 1925 the DC generators were scrapped and two 7 5 MW turbo alternators were commissioned 3 This brought the capacity of the station to 23 MW 3 Plant in 1942 Edit New plant was commissioned in 1942 comprising 7 Boilers 4 Thompson La Mont stoker fired boilers each capable of producing 120 000 lb h 15 1 kg s steam conditions 440 psi and 850 F 30 3 bar 454 C which supplied steam to 1 30 MW Brush Ljungstrom turbo alternator generating electricity at 6 6 kV Condenser cooling water was cooled in a single Hennibique reinforced concrete cooling tower with a capacity of 1 5 million gallons per hour 1 89 m3 s 7 Operations EditOperational data for the station was as follows In 1898 maximum electricity demand was 318 kW 4 There were 208 customers supplied with a total of 211 777 kWh of electricity plus 79 438 kWh for public lamps The revenue from the sales of current was 6 139 offset by generating costs of 2 211 4 Operating data 1921 23 Edit The operating data for the period 1921 23 was 6 Wolverhampton power station operating data 1921 23 Electricity Use Units Year1921 1922 1923Lighting and domestic MWh 2 478 2 832 3 071Public lighting MWh 244 239 275Traction MWh 2 366 2 164 2 437Power MWh 16 240 10 522 14 088Bulk supply MWh 231 452 7 068Total use MWh 21 599 16 209 26 940Load and connected loadMaximum load kW 10 125 9 361 11 735Total connections kW 23 130 24 255 29 365Load factor Per cent 31 5 28 0 32 1FinancialRevenue from sales of current 156 349 169 852Surplus of revenue over expenses 63 573 79 523Ownership of Wolverhampton power station was transferred to the West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority in 1928 5 Operating data 1934 6 Edit The station capacity and output in the mid 1930s was 8 Wolverhampton station capacity and output 1934 36 1934 35 1935 36Plant capacity MW 30 0 30 0Maximum load MW 22 0 30 2Maximum demand load factor 22 3 13 0Electricity generated MWh 42 999 34 568Electricity sold MWh 39 578 31 857Supply to Wolverhampton Corporation MWh 130 501 149 325Operating data 1946 Edit Wolverhampton power station operating data in 1946 was 9 Wolverhampton power station operating data 1946 Year Load factor per cent Max output load MW Electricity supplied MWh Thermal efficiency per cent1946 32 2 44 400 125 271 19 26The 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 Wolverhampton electricity undertaking and the West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority were abolished Ownership of Wolverhampton 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 Wolverhampton electricity undertaking were transferred to the Midlands Electricity Board MEB 11 Operating data 1954 72 Edit Operating data for the period 1954 72 was 7 12 13 Wolverhampton power station operating data 1954 72 Year Running hours or load factor per cent Max output capacity MW Electricity supplied GWh Thermal efficiency per cent1954 3581 28 84 628 21 001955 5033 28 122 040 20 251956 4473 28 104 673 19 471957 4077 28 90 982 19 621958 2983 28 71 355 20 171961 25 0 28 61 305 20 201962 10 7 28 26 325 20 141963 1 74 28 4 274 18 341967 22 6 28 55 32 18 541972 24 1 28 59 296 20 2The electricity output in GWh of the station was as shown Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues Wolverhampton was an electricity supply district covering 106 square miles 275 km2 and a population of 191 500 7 It encompassed the County Borough of Wolverhampton and parts of the districts of Tettenhall Cannock Seisdon Shifnal and Bridgnorth The number of consumers and electricity sold was 7 Year 1956 1957 1958Number of consumers 62 943 64 354 65 353Electricity sold MWh 475 606 492 667 523 067Closure and reuse EditWolverhampton power station was decommissioned on 25 October 1976 14 The main buildings have been adapted to commercial use See also EditTimeline of the UK electricity supply industry List of power stations in EnglandReferences Edit Confirmed by parliament in the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation No 2 Act 1883 46 amp 47 Vict c ccxiv Confirmed by parliament in the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation Act 1890 54 amp 55 Vict c clxxxvi a b c d e The Commercial Road Power Station Archived from the original on 13 January 2012 a b c Garcke Emile 1898 Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898 99 vol 3 London P S King and Son pp 345 47 a b Tucker D G 1977 Electricity generating stations for public supply in the West Midlands 1888 1977 PDF outsideecho Retrieved 23 October 2020 a b c d e Electricity Commissioners 1925 Electricity Supply 1920 23 London HMSO pp 106 09 332 7 a b c d e Garrett Frederick 1959 Manual of Electricity Supply vol 56 London Electrical Press pp A 109 A 139 B 258 Electricity Commissioners 1936 Electricity Commissioners Sixteenth annual report 1935 6 London HMSO p 141 Electricity Commissioners 1947 Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946 London HMSO p 15 Electricity Act 1947 legislation gov uk 1947 Retrieved 23 October 2020 a b Electricity Council 1987 Electricity supply in the United Kingdom a Chronology London Electricity Council pp 45 60 69 73 ISBN 085188105X CEGB Annual report and Accounts 1961 1962 amp 1963 Central Electricity Generating Board 1972 CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1972 London Central Electricity Generating Board p 13 House of Commons Written answers Coal fired power stations 16 January 1964 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wolverhampton Power Station amp oldid 1177329355, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
