Portishead power station
Encyclopedia
Portishead Power Station refers to a series of two coal and oil-fired power stations
. They were built in the dock
area of Portishead
in Somerset
, South West England
.
The original Portishead power station was built by Bristol Corporation's Electricity Department and it started generating in 1929. It was later expanded and renamed Portishead A Power Station; and Portishead B Power Station opened in the early 1950s. Both power stations were coal-fired; however Portishead B Power Station, as built, had one-third of its boilers oil-fired and two-thirds coal-fired. Both power stations were later converted to fully oil-fired operation.
They closed in the late 1970s and early 1980s respectively. The power station and dock area have since been demolished and cleared. The sites have now been redeveloped: the site of the two power stations is now occupied by housing and the dock has become a marina
.
's Electricity Department, as the Council's earlier power stations, the first at Temple Back, Bristol (opened 1891) and the second at the Feeder Canal, Bristol, became inadequate to meet the demand. Construction work at Portishead Dock started in 1926; and the station began generating electricity in 1929. With the creation of the Central Electricity Board
(CEB) in 1926 and the establishment of the 132 kV National Grid, Portishead Power station, when it opened, remained under the day-to-day control of Bristol Corporation; but was also subject to control by the CEB. It supplied power to the national grid; and in 1931 it's installed capacity was advertised as being in excess of 100000 HP. In 1937 its original six short chimney stacks were replaced by a 350 feet (106.7 m) high stack.
In 1947, the British Electricity Authority
(BEA) was established, with the nationalisation of the UK's electricity supply industry, through the authority of the Electricity Act 1947
. The BEA took over the operations of over 600 private power companies and local authority electricity power stations to form 14 area boards. Portishead Power Station ceased to be owned by the Bristol Corporation and was now operated by the BEA. Generating capacity at Portishead was increased in 1948 and a second 350 feet (106.7 m) stack was added. By 1949 the station could generate 240 MW of electricity.
After the Second World War, when building work on the new Portishead B Power Station began, the original station was renamed Portishead A.
's original Portishead railway station
; which was closed on 4 January 1954 and demolished. A replacement railway station was opened some 400 metres nearer the centre of Portishead.
The B power station was built with twelve steam boilers: eight were coal fired and four oil fired. The new power station began generating in 1955; however, in 1954 the British Electricity Authority
was replaced by the Central Electricity Authority
(CEA). The CEA itself was abolished in 1957 and both power stations came under the control of the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). They remained under the control of the CEGB until their closure and demolition.
and from the south Wales
coalfields. Local Somerset coal was delivered by train along the Portishead branch
of the Great Western Railway
(GWR). The line had opened on 12 April 1867 as the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway Company; and was extended to the dock on 5 July 1879. After 1966, Lower Writhlington and Kilmersdon pits, in Radstock
, were the only remaining pits in the Somerset coalfield; and Portishead power station was their main customer.
Welsh
coal was also brought across the Bristol channel
from south Wales by a fleet of boats. The Dock Master reported that 2,000 ton (2,000 tonne) per day was imported from South Wales for the A station through Portishead Dock; and that this was expected to increase to about 5,000 ton (5,000 tonne) per day when the B station came into operation.
Condensing water was taken from the Bristol Channel.
when collieries in the Somerset coalfield
closed. The two Radstock pits ceased production in September 1973 and the last train load of coal arrived at the station on 16 November 1973. The price of oil rose steeply in the 1970s (see 1973 oil crisis
and 1979 oil crisis) and the two power stations were little used after these events. By this time Hinkley Point A nuclear power station
and Hinkley Point B nuclear power station
had come into operation, reducing demand for electricity produced from burning coal.
was demolished in September 1981, followed by the second in August 1982. The B Station closed in 1982. Its two 383 feet (116.7 m) chimneys were demolished in October 1992.
An area between the site of the power stations and Royal Portbury Dock
which was used to dump the waste is being turned into a nature reserve known as Portbury Ashlands
.
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...
. They were built in the dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
area of Portishead
Portishead, Somerset
Portishead is a coastal town on the Severn Estuary within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset England. It has a population of 22,000, an increase of over 3,000 since the 2001 census, with a growth rate of 40 per cent, considerably in excess...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
.
The original Portishead power station was built by Bristol Corporation's Electricity Department and it started generating in 1929. It was later expanded and renamed Portishead A Power Station; and Portishead B Power Station opened in the early 1950s. Both power stations were coal-fired; however Portishead B Power Station, as built, had one-third of its boilers oil-fired and two-thirds coal-fired. Both power stations were later converted to fully oil-fired operation.
They closed in the late 1970s and early 1980s respectively. The power station and dock area have since been demolished and cleared. The sites have now been redeveloped: the site of the two power stations is now occupied by housing and the dock has become a marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
.
Portishead A power station
The first Portishead power station was built by Bristol CorporationBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
's Electricity Department, as the Council's earlier power stations, the first at Temple Back, Bristol (opened 1891) and the second at the Feeder Canal, Bristol, became inadequate to meet the demand. Construction work at Portishead Dock started in 1926; and the station began generating electricity in 1929. With the creation of the Central Electricity Board
Central Electricity Board
The United Kingdom Central Electricity Board was set up under The Electricity Act 1926 to standardise the nation's electricity supply. At that time, the industry consisted of more than 600 electricity supply companies and local authority undertakings, and different areas operated at different...
(CEB) in 1926 and the establishment of the 132 kV National Grid, Portishead Power station, when it opened, remained under the day-to-day control of Bristol Corporation; but was also subject to control by the CEB. It supplied power to the national grid; and in 1931 it's installed capacity was advertised as being in excess of 100000 HP. In 1937 its original six short chimney stacks were replaced by a 350 feet (106.7 m) high stack.
In 1947, 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...
(BEA) was established, with the nationalisation of the UK's electricity supply industry, through the authority of the Electricity Act 1947
Electricity Act 1947 (UK)
The Electricity Act 1947 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that nationalised the numerous municipal and privately owned electricity generation and supply utilities in Great Britain...
. The BEA took over the operations of over 600 private power companies and local authority electricity power stations to form 14 area boards. Portishead Power Station ceased to be owned by the Bristol Corporation and was now operated by the BEA. Generating capacity at Portishead was increased in 1948 and a second 350 feet (106.7 m) stack was added. By 1949 the station could generate 240 MW of electricity.
After the Second World War, when building work on the new Portishead B Power Station began, the original station was renamed Portishead A.
Portishead B power station
The BEA started building the Portishead "B" power station in 1949 on part of the site of the Great Western RailwayGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
's original Portishead railway station
Portishead railway station
Portishead railway station was opened by the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway in 1867; it was approximately from the village of Portishead. After the opening of the Pier in 1870, the line was extended with an additional railway station opened by the pier...
; which was closed on 4 January 1954 and demolished. A replacement railway station was opened some 400 metres nearer the centre of Portishead.
The B power station was built with twelve steam boilers: eight were coal fired and four oil fired. The new power station began generating in 1955; however, in 1954 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...
was replaced by 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...
(CEA). The CEA itself was abolished in 1957 and both power stations came under the control of the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). They remained under the control of the CEGB until their closure and demolition.
Operations
The stations took coal from the Somerset coalfieldSomerset coalfield
The Somerset Coalfield included pits in the North Somerset, England, area where coal was mined from the 15th century until 1973.It is part of a wider coalfield which covered northern Somerset and southern Gloucestershire. It stretched from Cromhall in the north to the Mendip Hills in the south, and...
and from the south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
coalfields. Local Somerset coal was delivered by train along the Portishead branch
Portishead Railway
The Portishead Railway was a branch line railway running from Portishead in Somerset to the Great Western Main Line in Bristol, England. It was constructed in the 1860s by the Bristol & Portishead Pier and Railway, which was incorporated to build a pier and a broad gauge link to the Bristol and...
of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR). The line had opened on 12 April 1867 as the Bristol and Portishead Pier and Railway Company; and was extended to the dock on 5 July 1879. After 1966, Lower Writhlington and Kilmersdon pits, in Radstock
Radstock
Radstock is a town in Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,275 according to the 2001 Census...
, were the only remaining pits in the Somerset coalfield; and Portishead power station was their main customer.
Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
coal was also brought across the Bristol channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
from south Wales by a fleet of boats. The Dock Master reported that 2,000 ton (2,000 tonne) per day was imported from South Wales for the A station through Portishead Dock; and that this was expected to increase to about 5,000 ton (5,000 tonne) per day when the B station came into operation.
Condensing water was taken from the Bristol Channel.
Rundown
The CEGB fully converted the two power stations to burn oilOil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
when collieries in the Somerset coalfield
Somerset coalfield
The Somerset Coalfield included pits in the North Somerset, England, area where coal was mined from the 15th century until 1973.It is part of a wider coalfield which covered northern Somerset and southern Gloucestershire. It stretched from Cromhall in the north to the Mendip Hills in the south, and...
closed. The two Radstock pits ceased production in September 1973 and the last train load of coal arrived at the station on 16 November 1973. The price of oil rose steeply in the 1970s (see 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
and 1979 oil crisis) and the two power stations were little used after these events. By this time Hinkley Point A nuclear power station
Hinkley Point A nuclear power station
Hinkley Point A nuclear power station was a Magnox power station located on a site in Somerset on the Bristol Channel coast, west of the River Parrett estuary.-History:...
and Hinkley Point B nuclear power station
Hinkley Point B nuclear power station
Hinkley Point B is a nuclear power station near Bridgwater, Somerset, on the Bristol Channel coast of south west England.-History:The construction of Hinkley Point B, which was undertaken by a consortium known as The Nuclear Power Group , started in 1967. The reactors were supplied by TNPG and the...
had come into operation, reducing demand for electricity produced from burning coal.
Closure and demolition
Portishead A Power Station ceased generating electricity on 15 March 1976. By this time its generating capacity had fallen to 96 MW. The first of its two chimneysFlue 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...
was demolished in September 1981, followed by the second in August 1982. The B Station closed in 1982. Its two 383 feet (116.7 m) chimneys were demolished in October 1992.
An area between the site of the power stations and Royal Portbury Dock
Royal Portbury Dock
The Royal Portbury Dock is part of the Port of Bristol, in England. It is situated near the village of Portbury on the southern side of the mouth of the Avon, where the river joins the Severn estuary — the Avonmouth Docks are on the opposite side of the Avon, within Avonmouth...
which was used to dump the waste is being turned into a nature reserve known as Portbury Ashlands
Portbury Ashlands
Portbury Ashlands which is now known as Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve is a nature reserve between Portishead and the Royal Portbury Dock in Somerset, England. It was formed from the redevelopment of the area of Portishead formerly occupied by two power stations...
.
Sources
- Butt, R.V.J., (1995. The Directory of Railway Stations. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.
- Crowhurst, Ken, (2001). Images of England: Portishead. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2240-5.
- Farr, Grahame (1954). Somerset Harbours: including the Port of Bristol. London: Christopher Johnson Publishers Ltd.
- Hannah, Leslie, (1979). Electricity before Nationalisation: A Study of the Development of The Electricity Supply Industry in Britain to 1948. London: Macmillan Press Ltd. ISBN 0-333-22086-2.
- Winter, Michael T., (2005). The Portishead Coal Boats: A History of Osborn & Wallis Ltd, Bristol. Lydney: Black Dwarf Publications. ISBN 1-903599-13-X.
See also
- British Electricity AuthorityBritish Electricity AuthorityThe 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...
- Central Electricity AuthorityCentral 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...
- Central Electricity Generating Board