Folkestone power station

Folkestone power station supplied electricity to the Borough of Folkestone and the surrounding area from 1898 to 1960. The power station was built by the Folkestone Electricity Supply Company Limited which operated it until the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948. It was redeveloped in the 1920s to meet the increased demand for electricity.

Folkestone power station
CountryEngland
LocationFolkestone, Kent
Coordinates51°05′08″N 01°09′05″E
StatusDecommissioned
Construction began1896
Commission date1898
Decommission date1960
Owner(s)Folkestone Electricity Supply Corporation Limited
(1897–1929)
County of London Electric Supply Company
(1929–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1960)
Operator(s)As owner
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal
Secondary fuelFuel oil
Turbine technologySteam turbines and oil engines
Cooling towers3
Cooling sourceCirculating cooling water
Power generation
Units operational1 x 1.5 MW, 1 x 1.875 MW, 1 x 3.75 MW
Nameplate capacity7.125 MW
Annual net output5,087 MWh (1930)

History

Folkestone Corporation applied in 1896 for a Provisional Order under the Electric Lighting Acts  to generate and supply electricity to Borough of Folkestone. An Order was granted by the Board of Trade and was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 1) Act 1896 (59 & 60 Vict. c. lxxxii).[1] The Folkestone Electricity Supply Company Limited was formed on 26 March 1897 to acquire the Folkestone Electric Lighting Order.[2] The company built the power station with a capital of £50,000 in Morehall, Folkestone (51°05’08”N, 01°09’05”E).[3] It was commissioned in 1898.[2] A major upgrade was undertaken in 1922–26.

In 1929 the County of London Electric Supply Company acquired a majority shareholding in the Folkestone Electricity Supply Company Limited.[4] This was part of a wider policy of acquisitions. Between 1918 and 1936 the County of London Company acquired 14 other electricity companies. It was able to consolidate development over a large area of south east England through its Kent Power Company subsidiary.[5]

The British electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6 c. 54).[6] The Folkestone electricity undertaking was abolished, ownership of Folkestone power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).[7] At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Folkestone electricity undertaking were transferred to the South Eastern Electricity Board (SEEBOARD).

Folkestone power station was closed in 1960.[8]

Equipment specification

Plant in 1923

By 1923 the plant comprised boilers delivering 45,400 lb/h (5.72 kg/s) of steam to:[9]

  • 2 × 150 kW reciprocating engines driving direct current (DC) generators
  • 2 × 300 kW reciprocating engines DC generators
  • 2 × 300 kW steam turbo-generators (DC)
  • 2 × 500 kW steam turbo-generators (DC)
  • 1 × 1,250 kW steam turbo-alternator, alternating current (AC)

In addition there was 1 × 200 kW oil engine driven DC generator.[9]

These machines had a total generating capacity of 3,950 kW, comprising 2,700 kW DC and 1,250 kW AC.

Electricity supply to consumers was:

  • 420 & 210 Volt DC.[9]

Plant in 1954

By 1954 the plant comprised:[10]

  • Boilers:
    • 2 × Thompson 28,000 lb/h (3.53 kg/s) underfeed stoker boilers, steam conditions were 215 psi and 600°F (14.8 bar and 316°C), steam was supplied to:
  • Generators:
    • 1 × 1.5 MW Brush-Ljungstrom 6.6 kV turbo-alternator
    • 1 × 1.875 MW Brush-Ljungstrom 6.6 kV turbo-alternator
    • 1 × 3.75 MW Brush-Ljungstrom 6.6 kV turbo-alternator

The total generating capacity was 7.125 MW with an output capacity of 4 MW.[10]

Condenser water was cooled in three Davenport cooling towers with a capacity of 345,000 gallons per hour (1,568 m3/hour).[10]

Operations

The 1898 generating plant had a capacity of 484 kW.[2]

Operating data 1921–23

The electricity supply data for the period 1921–23 was:[9]

Folkestone power station supply data 1921–23
Electricity Use Units Year
1921 1922 1923
Lighting and domestic MWh 1,350 1,430 1,703
Public lighting MWh 94 107 146
Traction MWh 0 0 0
Power MWh 444 458 540
Bulk supply MWh 0 0 0
Total use MWh 1,888 1,995 2,389

Electricity Loads on the system were:

Year 1921 1922 1923
Maximum load kW 1,500 1,644 2,072
Total connections kW 6,160 6,365 6,825
Load factor Per cent 21.6 20.5 19.2

Revenue from the sale of current (in 1923) was £53,841; the surplus of revenue over expenses was £31, 422.[9]

Operating data 1929–46

In 1929 the company sold 4,902 MWh of electricity, this increased to 5,087 MWh in 1930.[11]  

In 1946 Folkestone power station supplied 4,597 MWh of electricity; the maximum output load was 4,366 kW. The load factor was 15.0 %, and the thermal efficiency was 11.98 %.[12]

Operating data 1954–58

Operating data for the period 1954–58 was:[10]

Folkestone power station operating data, 1954–58
Year Running hours Max output capacity,  MW Electricity supplied, MWh Thermal efficiency per cent
1954 1306 4 2533 9.77
1955 1191 4 2766 10.19
1956 1002 4 2116 9.57
1957 452 4 766 7.94
1958 154 4 618 8.52

See also

References
  1. "Local Acts 1896". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  2. Garcke, Emile (1898). Manual of Electrical Undertakings 1898-99 vol. 3. London: P. S. King and Son. pp. 188–9.
  3. Ordnance Survey 25-inch, Kent LXXV.5 (Folkestone), revised 1906, published 1907.
  4. "Offer for Folkestone Electricity Shares". The Times. 1 October 1929. p. 22.
  5. Hannah, Leslie (1979). Electricity before Nationalisation. London: Macmillan. p. 247. ISBN 0333220862.
  6. "Electricity Act 1947". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  7. Electricity Council (1987). Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. pp. 60–61. ISBN 085188105X.
  8. Folkestone power station is shown in Garrett (1959), but is not shown in CEGB Annual Report 1961
  9. Electricity Commissioners (1925). Electricity Supply – 1920–23. London: HMSO. pp. 164–67, 418–23.
  10. Garrett, Frederick (1959). Garcke’s Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-56 A-121.
  11. "Company Results". The Times. 14 March 1931.
  12. Electricity Commissioners (1947). Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946. London: HMSO. p. 9.
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