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Hackney Power Station

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Coordinates: 51°33′31″N 0°02′24″W / 51.55870°N 0.04010°W / 51.55870; -0.04010
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Hackney Power Station
Map
CountryEngland
LocationHackney, London
Coordinates51°33′31″N 0°02′24″W / 51.55870°N 0.04010°W / 51.55870; -0.04010
StatusDecommissioned and demolished
Commission dateA 1901, B 1954
Decommission dateA 1969, B 1976
OwnerAs operator
OperatorsBorough of Hackney
(1901–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1976)
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal
Secondary fuelRefuse
Power generation
Units operationalA: 2 × 30 MW, B: 2 × 33 MW and 1 × 30 MW
Units decommissionedAll
Nameplate capacity92 MW
Annual net output(See graphs below)
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

grid reference TQ359862

Hackney Power Station (also known as Millfields Power Station or Millfields Electricity Generating Station)[1] was a coal-fired power station situated at Lea Bridge on the River Lee Navigation in London.

History

[edit]
A turbine in the A station, 1932

The 'A' station, opened in 1901, was built by the Borough of Hackney. Upon nationalisation of the electricity industry in 1948, the power station passed to the British Electricity Authority.[2] It originally burned local refuse as well as coal. The A station closed in 1969.

Following nationalisation a 'B' station was built, coming to use between 1954 and 1957.[3] The B station was itself closed on 25 October 1976 with a generating capacity of 92 MW.[4] It has been partially demolished, a sub-station remaining in part of the original buildings.

Coal was originally shipped up the Navigation from the Thames. However, in later years, as lighterage declined, up to thirty lorries per day transported coal to the station;[5] the station was isolated from the railway system by the Lea and Hackney Marshes.

In 1967 it was reported by a resident that coal dust from lorries delivering coal to Hackney power station 'lies like a black carpet in the front of our houses'. A Ministry of Transport spokesman said that delivering coal to the station by road instead of barges saves £33,450 a year.[6]

Hackney Power Station's chimney, since demolished

Parts of the site and the land immediately adjacent to it now serve as the Hackney Council Millfields Waste Depot and electricity substations operated by UK Power Networks and National Grid, including 66kV, 132kV, 275kV and 400kV substations.[7][8]

The power station and its chimney features in a 1977 silent short film by experimental filmmaker John Smith titled Hackney Marshes - November 4th 1977.[9]

View of Hackney Power Station and the Lee Navigation in 1973

Specification

[edit]

New generating equipment was added as the demand for electricity increased. The generating capacity, maximum load, and electricity generated and sold was as follows:[10][11]

Hackney A generating capacity, load and electricity produced and sold, 1903–46
Year Generating capacity, MW Maximum load, MW Electricity generated, GWh Electricity sold, GWh
1903/4 3.37 1.48 2.55 2.18
1912/3 4.80 4.292 8.999 7.812
1918/9 12.200 7.410 18.195 16.217
1919/20 18.200 9.636 17.341 14.774
1923/4 28.200 12.600 26.393 22.199
1936/7 61.000 31.500 177.996 71.529
1946 11.540 209.055 197.733
View of Hackney Power Station, 1973

In 1923 the AC plant comprised: 1 × 3,000 kW, 1 × 5,000 kW, and 1 × 6,000 kW turbo-alternators.[12] The DC supply was generated by 2 × 300 kW, 1 × 600 kW and 2 × 1,500 kW reciprocating engines and generators. The total installed generating capacity was 18,200 kW. The boiler plant produced a total of 229,00 lb/hr (28.85 kg/s) of steam. In 1923 the station generated 21.465 GWh of electricity, some of this was used in the plant, the total amount sold was 18.582 GWh. The revenue from sales of current was £151,291, this gave a surplus of revenue over expenses of £86,419.[12]

By 1963-64 the A station had 2 × 30 MW generators.[13] The steam capacity of the boilers was 1,014,000 lb/hr (127.8 kg/s). Steam conditions at the turbine stop valves was 200/370 psi (13.8/25.5 bar) and 282/416 °C. The boilers were chain grate stoked. In 1963-64 the overall thermal efficiency of the A station was 14.55 per cent.[13]

By 1963-64 the B station had 2 × 33 MW Parsons and 1 × 30 MW Parsons generators.[14] There were 3 × 300,000 lb/hr (37.8 kg/s)[15] Simon-Carves boilers giving a total steam capacity of 930,000 lb/hr (117.2 kg/s). Steam conditions at the turbine stop valves was 600 psi (41.4 bar) and 464 °C. The boilers used pulverised fuel. In 1963-64 the overall thermal efficiency of the A station was 25.48 per cent.[13] There was a single wood cooling tower with a capacity of 2.25 million gallons per hour (2.84 m3/s), make-up water was from the River Lea.[14]

Electricity output from Hackney power station was as follows.[13][16][14][17][11]

Hackney A annual electricity output GWh.

Hackney B annual electricity output GWh.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Explore georeferenced maps - Map images - National Library of Scotland". maps.nls.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Hackney: Public services". A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 10: Hackney (1995), pp. 108-115. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  3. ^ M.A.C.Horne. "London Area Power Supply A Survey of London's Electric Lighting and Power Stations" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  4. ^ Mr. Redmond (16 January 1984). "Coal-fired Power Stations". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  5. ^ "Thames Lighterage Industry". Hansard 18 December 1967 vol 756 cc936-71. 18 December 1967.
  6. ^ "'Coal dust like carpet' protest (p. 2)". The Times. 19 August 1967.
  7. ^ "Redeveloped waste depot up and running in Hackney". Redeveloped waste depot up and running in Hackney. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Need case for a New Grid Supply Point at Seven Sisters Road and UKPN Connection Point at Islington, London Borough of Islington" (PDF). London Borough of Islington. April 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Watch Hackney Marshes - November 4th 1977". BFI Player. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  10. ^ London County Council. London Statistics (various dates). London: London County Council.
  11. ^ a b Electricity Commission, Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31st December 1946. London: HMSO, 1947.
  12. ^ a b Electricity Commissioners (1925). Electricity Supply - 1920-1923. London: HMSO. pp. 38–41, 278–283.
  13. ^ a b c d CEGB Statistical Yearbook (various dates). CEGB, London.
  14. ^ a b c Garrett, Frederick C., ed. (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-59, A-122.
  15. ^ Pugh, H.V. (November 1957). "The Generation of Electricity in the London Area". Proceedings of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. 105:23: 487.
  16. ^ "British Power Stations operating at 31 December 1961". Electrical Review. 1 June 1961: 931.
  17. ^ CEGB Annual Report and Accounts, various years
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