Carrington Power Station
Encyclopedia
Carrington Power Station (now also sometimes known as Partington Power Station) refers to a now demolished coal-fired power station
, built at the meeting of the Manchester Ship Canal
and the River Mersey
in Trafford
, Greater Manchester
in North West England
. A Combined Cycle Gas Turbine
power station
is about to be constructed on the site.
runs into the Manchester Ship Canal
, was acquired by Manchester Corporation
in 1916 as an alternative site for Barton Power Station
, but was never developed. The construction of a power station on the site did not occur until after the Second World War. The Manchester Corporation Electricity Department
began planning the station in 1947. Planning was continued by the British Electricity Authority
, following the nationalisation of the industry in 1948. It was initially planned for the site to comprise two stations; an A station and a B station. Each station was to have a capacity of 240 megawatts (MW), a total capacity of 480 MW over the site, but only the A station was built.
was variable and so all of the buildings' foundations were piled
. Approximately 7,850 piles were made, all of reinforced concrete
construction, with an average length of 30 feet (9.1 m) and with a load of 50 tonnes per pile. The station's main buildings consisted of a turbine hall
, boiler house
and a pair of chimneys
. Other structures included workshop
s, storage areas
, a canteen
and office block buildings. The approximate dimensions of the main buildings measured 480 feet (146.3 m) by 275 feet (83.8 m). 10,300 tonnes of steel was used in the main buildings' steel frame
, erection of which began in November 1949, and the construction of the superstructure beginning in December 1950. The steel frame was clad
with brick
, while copings
and cills were made from artificial stone
. The station had granolithic
flooring, but the turbine hall and boiler room floors were tile
d. The roofs were made from reinforced concrete
with glass
glazing
. Two elevator
s were provided, to give access to all floors. The station's two chimneys were each 350 feet (106.7 m) high and of brick construction. Ten million bricks were used in the construction of the station.
Commissioning of the station's first generating set took place in 1953. All of the station's generating sets were commissioned by 1956. The station was officially opened by Sir William Walker on 20 July 1956. By then, the British Electricity Authority had become the Central Electricity Authority
. This in turn became the Central Electricity Generating Board in 1957.
The station generated electricity using four 60 megawatt (MW) Metropolitan-Vickers
turbo-alternators, giving the station a total generating capacity of 240 MW. Steam for the generators was provided by seven boilers. Boilers no. 1 to 4 were produced by Babcock and Wilcox
, and boilers no. 5 to 7 by John Brown Land Boilers. The latter were the first made by this company to be commissioned by the Central Electricity Authority.
Combined Cycle Gas Turbine
power station
is to be built on the station's site. Bridestone Developments have planned a £500 million station, capable of generating 860MW of electricity, enough power to supply half a million homes. Irish utility company ESBI purchased an 85% stake in the project from Carlton Power in September 2008. It is expected that the station will be able to have Carbon Capture and Storage
facilities, when the technology is viable. The station will also be a combined heat and power plant
, capable of providing nearby businesses with steam if they require a supply. Bridestone were granted planning permission to build the station by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in July 2008. This meant the plans were not subject to approval from Trafford Council. Its construction is expected to begin in late 2009 or early 2010. It will provide 600 construction jobs, with construction expected to take two years. Fifty permanent jobs will be provided upon the completion of the station in 2013. There had previously been plans to build a smaller power station on the site, but these have since been replaced by the current plans. The project was officially launched on 23 January 2009.
Fossil fuel power plant
A fossil-fuel power station is a power station that burns fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or petroleum to produce electricity. Central station fossil-fuel power plants are designed on a large scale for continuous operation...
, built at the meeting of the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
and the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
in Trafford
Trafford
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
in North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
. A Combined Cycle Gas Turbine
Combined cycle
In electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators...
power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
is about to be constructed on the site.
Background
The station's site, on the south-east bank of the point where the River MerseyRiver Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
runs into the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
, was acquired by Manchester Corporation
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
in 1916 as an alternative site for Barton Power Station
Barton Power Station
Barton Power Station was a coal-fired power station in Trafford Park on the Bridgewater Canal, near Eccles in Greater Manchester, England.-History:The construction of the station began in 1920 and operation began in 1923...
, but was never developed. The construction of a power station on the site did not occur until after the Second World War. The Manchester Corporation Electricity Department
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
began planning the station in 1947. Planning was continued by the British Electricity Authority
British Electricity Authority
The British Electricity Authority was established in 1948 with the nationalisation of the Great Britain's electricity supply industry. It was created by means of the Electricity Act 1947...
, following the nationalisation of the industry in 1948. It was initially planned for the site to comprise two stations; an A station and a B station. Each station was to have a capacity of 240 megawatts (MW), a total capacity of 480 MW over the site, but only the A station was built.
Construction, design and specification
Because the station's site was surrounded by water on two sides, its strataStratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
was variable and so all of the buildings' foundations were piled
Deep foundation
A deep foundation is a type of foundation distinguished from shallow foundations by the depth they are embedded into the ground. There are many reasons a geotechnical engineer would recommend a deep foundation over a shallow foundation, but some of the common reasons are very large design loads, a...
. Approximately 7,850 piles were made, all of reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
construction, with an average length of 30 feet (9.1 m) and with a load of 50 tonnes per pile. The station's main buildings consisted of a turbine hall
Turbine Hall
The turbine hall, generating hall or turbine building is a building that is a part of any steam cycle or hydroelectric power plant which houses a number of components vital to the generation of electricity from the steam that comes from the boiler, or from the water coming from the reservoir...
, boiler house
Mechanical room
A mechanical room or a boiler room is a room or space in a building dedicated to the mechanical equipment and its associated electrical equipment. Unless a building is served by a centralized heating plant, the size of the mechanical room is usually proportional to the size of the building...
and a pair of chimneys
Flue gas stack
A flue-gas stack is a type of chimney, a vertical pipe, channel or similar structure through which combustion product gases called flue gases are exhausted to the outside air. Flue gases are produced when coal, oil, natural gas, wood or any other fuel is combusted in an industrial furnace, a power...
. Other structures included workshop
Workshop
A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
s, storage areas
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
, a canteen
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
and office block buildings. The approximate dimensions of the main buildings measured 480 feet (146.3 m) by 275 feet (83.8 m). 10,300 tonnes of steel was used in the main buildings' steel frame
Steel frame
Steel frame usually refers to a building technique with a "skeleton frame" of vertical steel columns and horizontal -beams, constructed in a rectangular grid to support the floors, roof and walls of a building which are all attached to the frame...
, erection of which began in November 1949, and the construction of the superstructure beginning in December 1950. The steel frame was clad
Cladding (construction)
Cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes....
with brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
, while copings
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
and cills were made from artificial stone
Artificial stone
Artificial stone is a name for various kinds of synthetic stone products used from the 18th century onward. They have been used in building construction, civil engineering work, and industrial uses such as grindstones....
. The station had granolithic
Granolithic
Granolithic screed, also known as granolithic paving and granolithic concrete, is a type of construction material composed of cement and fine aggregate such as granite or other hard-wearing rock. It is generally used as flooring, or as paving...
flooring, but the turbine hall and boiler room floors were tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
d. The roofs were made from reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
with glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
glazing
Glazing
Glazing, which derives from the Middle English for 'glass', is a part of a wall or window, made of glass. Glazing also describes the work done by a professional "glazier"...
. Two elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s were provided, to give access to all floors. The station's two chimneys were each 350 feet (106.7 m) high and of brick construction. Ten million bricks were used in the construction of the station.
Commissioning of the station's first generating set took place in 1953. All of the station's generating sets were commissioned by 1956. The station was officially opened by Sir William Walker on 20 July 1956. By then, the British Electricity Authority had become the Central Electricity Authority
Central Electricity Authority (UK)
The Central Electricity Authority was a body that ran the electricity supply industry in England and Wales between 1954 and 1957. The CEA replaced the earlier British Electricity Authority as a result of the Electricity Reorganisation Act 1954, which moved responsibility for Scottish electricity...
. This in turn became the Central Electricity Generating Board in 1957.
The station generated electricity using four 60 megawatt (MW) Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
turbo-alternators, giving the station a total generating capacity of 240 MW. Steam for the generators was provided by seven boilers. Boilers no. 1 to 4 were produced by Babcock and Wilcox
Babcock and Wilcox
The Babcock & Wilcox Company is a U.S.-based company that provides design, engineering, manufacturing, construction and facilities management services to nuclear, renewable, fossil power, industrial and government customers worldwide. B&W's boilers supply more than 300,000 megawatts of installed...
, and boilers no. 5 to 7 by John Brown Land Boilers. The latter were the first made by this company to be commissioned by the Central Electricity Authority.
Later history
Initially the station operated at base load, and maintained a good load factor into the middle of its life. Between 1984 and 1985 the station broke its own output records. In the final years of its operating life it retained a high availability, to meet the peaks of winter evening electricity demands. After the United Kingdom's electric supply industry was privatised in 1990, the station was operated by PowerGen. It continued generating electricity until it was closed in 1991, and was demolished several years later.Future use of site
A gas-firedNatural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
Combined Cycle Gas Turbine
Combined cycle
In electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators...
power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
is to be built on the station's site. Bridestone Developments have planned a £500 million station, capable of generating 860MW of electricity, enough power to supply half a million homes. Irish utility company ESBI purchased an 85% stake in the project from Carlton Power in September 2008. It is expected that the station will be able to have Carbon Capture and Storage
Carbon capture and storage
Carbon capture and storage , alternatively referred to as carbon capture and sequestration, is a technology to prevent large quantities of from being released into the atmosphere from the use of fossil fuel in power generation and other industries. It is often regarded as a means of mitigating...
facilities, when the technology is viable. The station will also be a combined heat and power plant
Cogeneration
Cogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
, capable of providing nearby businesses with steam if they require a supply. Bridestone were granted planning permission to build the station by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in July 2008. This meant the plans were not subject to approval from Trafford Council. Its construction is expected to begin in late 2009 or early 2010. It will provide 600 construction jobs, with construction expected to take two years. Fifty permanent jobs will be provided upon the completion of the station in 2013. There had previously been plans to build a smaller power station on the site, but these have since been replaced by the current plans. The project was officially launched on 23 January 2009.
External links
- Carrington Power - Official website of new CCGT power station.
- Carrington Power Station handbook (old station)