Earley Power Station
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.
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]
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]
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]
The operating parameters and electricity output of Earley power station is given in the following table
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Wikipedia