Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

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Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Castle Meads Power Station: Difference between revisions

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[[image:Im1945EnV179-p154.jpg|thumb| 1945. Earley Power Station - 40,000 KW Turbo-Alternator. ]]
A coal-fired power station at Gloucester
Reading


In 1940 the Electricity Commissioners in agreement with the Central Electricity Board proposed a programme of new generating capacity to mitigate war risks and the growth in demand associated with the development of munitions factories.[2] The programme entailed the installation of 180 MW of plant in four existing stations and two new stations one at Earley east of Reading (51:27.6899N 0:55.5858W) and the other at Castle Meads, Gloucester.[2] Earley was the only power station owned by the CEB; it was operated by Edmundson’s Electricity Corporation until nationalisation in 1948.
1940 the Electricity Commissioners in agreement with the [[Central Electricity Board]] proposed a programme of new generating capacity to mitigate war risks and the growth in demand associated with the development of munitions factories. The programme entailed the installation of 180 MW of plant in four existing stations and two new stations one at [[Earley Power Station|Earley]] east of Reading and the other at Castle Meads, Gloucester, which would replace the electricity supply from [[Gloucester Power Station|Gloucester Corporation's works]] on Commercial Road.


The supply from Earley commenced on 8 December 1942, only 22 months after the start of construction.[2] The plant initially comprised a Parsons 40 MW steam turbo-alternator fed from three boilers with a total steam capacity of 600,000 lb/hr at 635 psi at 850 °F (75.6 kg/s, 43.8 bar at 454 °C).[7] The boilers were fed with pulverised coal. The plant was extended in 1944–45 with a second 40 MW set and boilers with a capacity of 400,000 lb/hr (50.4 kg/s).[7] A third 40 MW set with 400,000 lb/hr boilers was installed in 1945–47. In its final configuration there were seven International Combustion boilers each with a capacity of 200,000 lb/hr (25.2 kg/s).[7] Generation was at 33 kV and transmission at 33 kV and 132 kV. Cooling water was abstracted from the river.[7]
1940 Construction of the station began


Upon nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948 the ownership of Earley power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).[2]
1942 The station was equipped with comprised two 20 MW [[BTH|British Thomson-Houston]] turbo-alternator sets, powered by steam from five [[Yarrow and Co|Yarrow]] boilers. The first set was commissioned in December 1942. The station was owned  and run  by  Gloucester  Corporation<ref>The Engineer 1947</ref>


Earley was also the site of a pioneering main-service gas turbine, this was a 56 MW machine driven by four Rolls Royce Avon jet engines and was commissioned in 1965. A second Diesel-fired gas turbine was installed later.[2]
When the electricity industry was nationalised in 1948 the station passed to the [[British Electricity Authority]].


The operating parameters and electricity output of Earley power station is given in the following table
1973 The station was decommissioned
 
Within the station, coal was transported to the boilers by a [[Andrew Barclay, Sons and Co|Barclays]] fireless locomotive, one of only 162 ever built in Britain.
 
After the closure of the power station, the locomotive was preserved at the [[National Waterways Museum]] in Gloucester.


==See Also==
==See Also==
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<references/>
<references/>
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Electricity_Board] Wikipedia
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Electricity_Board] Wikipedia
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Meads_Power_Station] Castle Meads


{{DEFAULTSORT:  }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:  }}
[[Category: Town - Gloucester]]
[[Category: Town - Gloucester]]
[[Category: Electricity Generation & Supply  ]]
[[Category: Electricity Power Stations]]

Latest revision as of 09:32, 28 March 2025

A coal-fired power station at Gloucester

1940 the Electricity Commissioners in agreement with the Central Electricity Board proposed a programme of new generating capacity to mitigate war risks and the growth in demand associated with the development of munitions factories. The programme entailed the installation of 180 MW of plant in four existing stations and two new stations one at Earley east of Reading and the other at Castle Meads, Gloucester, which would replace the electricity supply from Gloucester Corporation's works on Commercial Road.

1940 Construction of the station began

1942 The station was equipped with comprised two 20 MW British Thomson-Houston turbo-alternator sets, powered by steam from five Yarrow boilers. The first set was commissioned in December 1942. The station was owned and run by Gloucester Corporation[1]

When the electricity industry was nationalised in 1948 the station passed to the British Electricity Authority.

1973 The station was decommissioned

Within the station, coal was transported to the boilers by a Barclays fireless locomotive, one of only 162 ever built in Britain.

After the closure of the power station, the locomotive was preserved at the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester.

See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. ↑ The Engineer 1947
  • [1] Wikipedia
  • [2] Castle Meads
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