Luton power station

Luton power station supplied electricity to the Borough of Luton and the surrounding area from 1901 to 1969. The power station was operated by the Luton Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948. It was redeveloped after the First World War to meet the increased demand for electricity.

Luton power station
CountryEngland
LocationLuton
Coordinates51°52′45″N 00°24′34″W
StatusDecommissioned and demolished
Construction began1898
Commission date1901
Decommission date1969
Owner(s)Luton Corporation
(1895–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority
(1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1969)
Operator(s)As owner
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal
Secondary fuelFuel oil
Turbine technologySteam turbines
Cooling towers2
Cooling sourceCooling towers
Power generation
Units operational1 x 5 MW, 1 x 7 MW, 1 x 11 MW
Make and modelBrush-Ljungstrom turbo-alternator
Nameplate capacity23 MW
Annual net output30,831 MWh (1946)

History

Luton Corporation obtained a Provisional Order in 1895 under the Electric Lighting Acts to generate and supply electricity to Borough of Luton. The Order was granted by the Board of Trade and was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 2) Act 1895 (58 & 59 Vict. c. lxvii).[1] The corporation built a power station in St Mary's Road, Luton (51°52’45”N, 00°24’34”W)[2] which was commissioned in 1901.

Luton power station supplied electricity to Luton Corporation Tramways from the opening of the system in 1908 until its closure in 1932.[3]

The British electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6 c. 54).[4] The Luton electricity undertaking was abolished, ownership of Luton power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).[5] At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Luton electricity undertaking were transferred to the Eastern Electricity Board (EEB).

Luton power station was closed in 1969.[6] The power station was demolished in 1972.

Equipment specification

Plant in 1923

By 1923 the plant comprised boilers delivering 166,000 lb/h (20.9 kg/s) of steam to:[7]

These machines had a total generating capacity of 7,400 kW; comprising 2,400 kW DC and 5,000 kW AC.[7]

Electricity supply to consumers was at 250 and 500 V DC.

Plant in 1954

By 1954 the plant comprised:[8]

  • Boilers:
    • 2 × Woodeson 90,000 lb/h (11.34 kg/s) pulverised fuel boilers, steam conditions were 325 psi and 700 °F (22.4 bar and 371 °C), steam was supplied to:
  • Generators:
    • 1 × 5 MW Brush-Ljungstrom 6.6 kV turbo-alternator
    • 1 × 7 MW Brush-Ljungstrom 6.6 kV turbo-alternator
    • 1 × 11 MW Brush-Ljungstrom 6.6 kV turbo-alternator

The total generating capacity was 23 MW and the output capacity was 13 MW.[8]

Condenser water was cooled in two Mouchel reinforced concrete cooling towers each with a capacity of 1.0 million gallons per hour (4,546 m3/hour).[8]

The boilers were converted to oil firing in 1965.[9]

Operations

Operating data 1921–23

The electricity supply data for the period 1921–23 was:[7]

Luton power station supply data 1921–23
Electricity Use Units Year
1921 1922 1923
Lighting and domestic MWh 2,223 2,350 3,076
Public lighting MWh 5 10 14
Traction MWh 366 300 326
Power MWh 8,014 6,283 8,224
Bulk supply MWh 0 0 656
Total use MWh 10,608 8,943 12,197

The electricity Loads on the system were:

Year 1921 1922 1923
Maximum load kW 6,315 5,646 6,300
Total connections kW 16,080 16,500 17,337
Load factor Per cent 21.6 20.5 26.9

Revenue from the sale of current (in 1923) was £75,852; the surplus of revenue over expenses was £33,664.[7]

Operating data 1946

In 1946 Luton power station supplied 30,831 MWh of electricity; the maximum output load was 18,390 kW; the load factor was 49.5 per cent; the thermal efficiency was 14.60 per cent.[10]

Operating data 1954–67

Operating data for the period 1954–67 was:[8][11][9]

Luton power station operating data, 1954–67
Year Running hours (or load factor %) Max output capacity, MW Electricity supplied, MWh Thermal efficiency per cent
1954 1787 20 18,455 13.51
1955 2326 20 21,219 13.36
1956 2617 20 24,669 13.42
1957 2065 18 18,207 12.78
1958 2440 18 24,451 12.95
1961 5.6 % 13 6,373 13.82
1962 11.5 % 13 13,140 14.13
1963 12.13 % 13 13,809 13.50
1964 3.52 % 13 4,019 14.33
1965 17.6 % 13 21,585 15.88
1967 9.2 % 14 11,224 13.09

The output of the station in MWh was as follows.[8][9][11]

Luton Electricity District

Following nationalisation in 1948 Luton power station became part of the Luton electricity supply district, covering 200 square miles (518 km2) with a population of 193,800 in 1958.

The number of consumers and electricity sold in the Luton district was:[8]

Year 1956 1957 1958
Number of consumers 61,172 53,551 63,949
Electricity sold MWh 458,223 492,340 567,425

In 1958 the number of units sold to categories of consumers was:[8]

Type of consumer No. of consumers Electricity sold MWh
Domestic 59,164 113,972
Commercial 4,164 31,828
Combined premises 1,582 8,207
Industrial 1,382 404,930
Farms 781 6,181
Public lighting 17 2,307
Total 67,090 567,425

See also

References
  1. "Local Acts 1895". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  2. Ordnance Survey 25-inch, Bedfordshire XXXIII.5 (Caddington; Hyde; Luton), surveyed 1922, published 1924.
  3. Turner, Keith (1996). The Directory of British Tramways. Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-549-9.
  4. "Electricity Act 1947". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  5. Electricity Council (1987). Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. pp. 60–61, 73, 76. ISBN 085188105X.
  6. Cotswold Archaeology. "Power Court Site Luton Bedfordshire" (PDF). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  7. Electricity Commissioners (1925). Electricity Supply – 1920–23. London: HMSO. pp. 58–61, 296–301.
  8. Garrett, Frederick (1959). Garcke’s Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-73 A-127, B-195–96.
  9. CEGB Statistical Yearbook, 1964,1965, 1967
  10. Electricity Commissioners Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946 HMSO 1947 p.11
  11. CEGB Annual Report 1961, 1962, 1963
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