Watford Power Station
Map
CountryEngland
LocationHertfordshire, East of England
Coordinates51°38′34″N 0°24′16″W / 51.642896°N 0.404338°W / 51.642896; -0.404338
StatusDemolished
Construction began1898
Commission dateCoal-fired 1900; gas turbine 1980
Decommission dateCoal-fired 1968; gas turbine 1990
Owner(s)As operator
Operator(s)Watford Corporation Electricity Department
(until 1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1990)
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal, distillate fuel oil
Chimneys6 (coal-fired station), 2 gas turbine
Cooling towers2 (coal-fired); 2 gas turbine
Cooling sourceRiver water and cooling towers (coal-fired), air cooled heat exchangers (gas turbine)
Power generation
Units operational37.25 MW (in 1967); two 70 MW gas turbine
Units decommissionedAll
Nameplate capacity37.25 MW (in 1967); two 70 MW gas turbines
Annual net output(See tables)
[edit on Wikidata]

Watford Power Station was a coal-fired power station situated in Watford's Riverside area. The station was built by the Watford Corporation Electricity Department starting with the installation of cables in 1899 with completion around 1900, near the banks of the River Colne. A gas turbine power station was commissioned in 1980.

Development

The Borough of Watford was authorised to construct an electricity system in 1897 by the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No.3) Act 1897 (60 & 61 Vict. c. lxiii).[1] The power station was built near the Watford and Rickmansworth Railway and a rail siding spurred into the site allowing coal to be brought in from the north Midlands. It appears the original coal-fired power station was a large gothic building with six chimneys; this was utilised until 1968, when the operation became uneconomic.

New generating equipment was added as the demand for electricity increased. The generating capacity, maximum load, and electricity generated and sold was as follows:[2]

Watford power station generating capacity, load and electricity produced and sold, 1912–37
Year Generating capacity, MW Maximum load, MW Electricity generated, GWh Electricity sold, GWh
1912/3 1.88 1.020 1.904 1.701
1918/9 3.50 1.185 3.694 3.170
1919/20 3.50 1.920 4.583 3.793
1923/4 4.30 3.510 8.596 6.884
1937/8 36.22 22.18 43.446 62.702

In 1923 the electricity plant comprised 1 × 150 kW and 1 × 500 kW reciprocating engines and generators, and 1 × 500 kW, 1 × 650 kW and 2 × 1,250 kW turbo-alternators.[3] The total generating capacity of the station was 4,300 kW. The total output of the boiler plant was 67,200 lb/hr (8.47 kg/s) of steam.[3] Electricity was available as single phase AC, 200V. In 1923 the station generated 6.884 GWh of electricity, some of this was used in the plant, the total amount sold was 5.835 GWh. The revenue from sales of current was £55,695, this gave a surplus of revenue over expenses of £29,720.[3]

By 1937 the electricity plant comprised 1 × 150 kW reciprocating engine and generator, and 2 × 1850 kW, 1 × 4120 kW, 1 × 6250 kW, 1 × 7,000 kW and 1 × 15,000 kW turbo-alternators. A total of 36.22 MW.[4]

By 1950 the electricity plant comprised 1 × 16.5 MW , 1 × 7.0 MW, 1 × 6.25 MW, 1 ×4.0 MW and 2 × 2.0 MW turbo-alternators. A total of 37.75 MW.[5]

By 1961 the installed capacity of the station was 37.25 megawatts (MW), with an output capacity of 27 MW.[6] The oldest operational generating equipment had been installed in 1918.[6] The chain grate boilers had a total steam generating capacity of 300,000 lb/hr (37.8 kg/s), the steam conditions were 250 psi (17.24 bar) and 399 °C.[7] Water from the River Crane and cooling towers were used to condense steam and provide cooling. In 1950 there was a single cooling tower of 0.25 million gallons per hour.[5] In 1960 there were two cooling towers of 0.25 m.g.p.h. film and Davenport 0.2 m.g.p.h.[8] The overall thermal efficiency of the station in 1967 was 15.45 per cent.[7] The electricity output of the station in its final years was as follows:[7][9][10]

Watford coal-fired power station electricity produced, GWh
Year 1946 1947 1948 1950 1954 1955 1957 1958 1960/1 1961/2 1962/3 1964 1965 1966 1967
Electricity, GWh 43.653 44.8 55.1 53.54 46.42 48.26 37.21 36.34 20.063 21.609 24.422 32.363 23.915 27.900 28.149

The coal-fired station was closed in March 1968. In the early 1970s the site was cleared for a new gas turbine power station.

Gas turbine station

In 1971 the CEGB announced that it was seeking consent to build a new set of gas turbine power stations to meet peak load demands.[11] These would be located near old or redundant stations that were close to centres of demand. The first of these was Letchworth followed by Watford. It was envisaged the plant would cost £6.5 million and be operational in 1975.[11] The project was delayed and the new station at Watford was commissioned in 1980. It had two GEC Gas Turbine Quad Olympus 70 MW oil-fired gas turbines giving a maximum capability of 140 MW.[12] The electricity output of the gas turbine station was as follows:[12]

Watford GT power station electricity produced, GWh
Year 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986
Electricity, GWh 1.332 2.325 13.877 5.284 4.882 49.974 4.982

The high operational output in 1984-85 is associated with the 1984-5 miners' strike.

The gas turbine station was decommissioned in 1990 and subsequently demolished.

The site is now used for step-down transformers.

References

  1. ^ "Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No.3) Act 1897" (PDF). Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  2. ^ London County Council. London Statistics (various dates). London: London County Council.
  3. ^ a b c Electricity Commission (1925). Electricity Supply - 1920-1923. London: HMSO. pp. 98–101, 326–31.
  4. ^ Electricity Commission (1939). Electricity Supply 1937-38,. London: HMSO. pp. 118–9.
  5. ^ a b Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply 1950-51 Vol. 48. London: Electrical Press. 1951. pp. A-115, A-141.
  6. ^ a b "British Power Stations operating at 31 December 1961". Electrical Review. 1 June 1962: 931. 1962.
  7. ^ a b c CEGB Statistical Yearbook (1965, 1966, 1967, 1968). CEGB, London
  8. ^ Garcke's Manual of electricity supply 1958-59 Vol 56. London: Electrical Press. 1959. pp. A-106, A-138.
  9. ^ CEGB Annual Report and Accounts, various years
  10. ^ Electricity Commission, Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31st December 1946. London: HMSO, 1947.
  11. ^ a b Dwyer, Dennis (4 December 1970). "CEGB plans new series of gas turbine stations". The Times.
  12. ^ a b CEGB Statistical Yearbook (1980 to 1986). CEGB, London.
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