Hounslow power station

Former power station in England

Hounslow power station

Country| England
Location| Hounslow London
Coordinates| 51°28′10″N 00°20′53″W﻿ / ﻿51.46944°N 0.34806°W﻿ / 51.46944; -0.34806
Status| Decommissioned and demolished
Construction began| 1900
Commission date| 1904
Decommission date| 1964
Owner(s)| Heston and Isleworth Borough Council
(1900–1948)
British Electricity Authority
(1948–1955)
Central Electricity Authority (1955–1957)
Central Electricity Generating Board
(1958–1964)
Operator(s)| As owner
Thermal power station
Primary fuel| Coal
Secondary fuel| Diesel
Turbine technology| Steam turbines, diesel engines
Cooling source| water from well, spray pond
Power generation
Units operational| 1 x 1 MW, 1 x 1.35 MW, 2 x 0.9 MW
Make and model| Brush Ljungstrom, General Motors
Nameplate capacity| 4.15MW
Annual net output| 2327 kW (1920)

[edit on Wikidata]

Hounslow power station generated and supplied electricity to the district of Hounslow, Heston and Isleworth in west London from 1904 to 1964. Originally steam powered, diesel engine generators were added in the 1950s.The station was owned and operated by Heston and Isleworth Borough Council until the nationalisation of the electricity industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped as demand for electricity grew and old plant was replaced until its closure in 1964.

## History[edit]

In 1900 Heston and Isleworth Urban District Council applied for a Provisional Order under the Electric Lighting Acts to generate and supply electricity to the district. This was granted by the Board of Trade and was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 12) Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. clxx).[1] The Council built a generating station in Bridge Street, Hounslow (51°28'10"N 0°20'53"W)[2] known as Hounslow power station. It was first commissioned in November 1904.[3]

The station continued to generate electricity for the Council until the nationalisation of the British electricity industry in 1948.[4] The Heston and Isleworth electricity undertaking was abolished, ownership of the 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 Council’s electricity undertaking was transferred to the Southern Electricity Board (SEB). The station was decommissioned in 1964.[3]

## Equipment specification[edit]

By 1923 the generating plant comprised:[6]

* Boilers generating 42,500 lb/h (5.35 kg/s) of steam, this was supplied to:
* Generators
* 2 × 125 kW reciprocating engine generators
* 2 × 250 kW reciprocating engine generators
* 1 × 500 kW reciprocating engine generator

These machines gave a total generating capacity of 1,250 kW of direct current.[6]

Electricity supplies to consumers were at 480 & 240 Volt DC.

The plant in 1958 comprised:[7]

* Boilers:
* 3 × Babcock & Wilcox 12,500 lb/h (1.57 kg/s) boilers with chain grate stokers, operating at 200 psi and 550 °F (13.8 bar and 288 °C) and feeding steam to two generating sets:
* Generating sets
* 1 × 1,000 kW Fraser & Chalmers–GEC DC generator set
* 1 × 1,350 kW Brush Ljungstrom AC turbo-alternator,
* 2 × 900 kW General Motors diesel engines coupled to Elliott alternators
* The total installed generating capacity was 4.15 MW, with an output capacity of 3 MW.[7]

Condenser cooling water was drawn from a well, there was also a spray pond.

## Operations[edit]

Summary operating data for Hounslow power station:[8][9][10][11][6][12]

Operating data for Hounslow power station 1912–46  Year  | Plant generating capacity kW  | Max load kW  | Connection on system kW  | Electricity generated MWh  | Load factor per cent  | No. of customers

|
|
|
|
|
|

1912/13  | 750  | 498  | 760  | 1,093  | –  | 954
1918/19  | 1,380  | 1,067  | –  | 1,848  | 20.4  | –
1919/20  | –  | –  | –  | 2,327  | 19.7  | –
1921  | 1,250  | 1,210  | 3,440  | 2,234  | 23.2  | –
1922  | 1,250  | 1,311  | 3,991  | 2,186  | 23.1  | –
1923  | 1,250  | 1,365  | 3,904  | 2,210  | 24.4  | –
1923/24  | 1,250  | 1,422  | 4,204  | 2,181  | 20.0  | 2,109
1936/37  | 2,100  | 14,395  | 85,384  | 747  | 40.7  | 23,993
1946  | –  | 3,360  | –  | 1,500  | –  | –

The use of electricity in the period 1921–23 was:[6]

Heston and Isleworth undertaking electricity use 1921–23  Electricity Use  | Units  | Year

|
|

1921  | 1922  | 1923
Lighting and domestic  | MWh  | 393  | 679  | 751
Public lighting  | MWh  | 121  | 148  | 171
Traction  | MWh  | 0  | 0  | 0
Power  | MWh  | 1,507  | 1,357  | 1,444
Total use | MWh | 2,021 | 2,184 | 2,367

### Operating data 1954–63[edit]

Operating data for Hounslow power station:[7][13]

Hounslow power station operating data, 1954–63  Year  | Running hours  | Load factor per cent  | Max output capacity MW  | Electricity supplied MWh  | Thermal efficiency per cent

|
|
|
|
|

Steam plant
1954  | 282  | –  | 2  | 452  | 6.76
1955  | 428  | –  | 2  | 752  | 8.10
1956  | 298  | –  | 2  | 491  | 7.85
1957  | 151  | –  | 2  | 248  | 6.48
1958  | 298  | –  | 2  | 564  | 7.95
1961  | –  | 0.7  | 1  | 61  | 8.70
1962  | –  | 0.4  | 1  | 37  | 6.16
1963  | –  | –  | –  | –  | –
Diesel plant
1954  | 323  | 87.5  | 1.8  | 509  | –
1955  | 423  | 88.9  | 1.8  | 677  | –
1956  | 242  | 79.9  | 1.8  | 348  | –
1957  | 54  | 67.9  | 1.8  | 66  | –
1958  | 342  | 92.8  | 1.8  | 571  | –
1961  | –  | 3.7  | 2  | 586  | 29.89
1962  | –  | 3.6  | 2  | 560  | 30.14
1963  | –  | 8.43  | 2  | 1,476  | 30.57

The electricity output, in MWh, from the Hounslow power station is shown graphically.

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.

|

## Closure[edit]

The steam plant was decommissioned in 1963 and the rest of Hounslow power station was closed in 1964.[3] The site is currently (2020) an electricity substation.

## See also[edit]

* Timeline of the UK electricity supply industry
* List of power stations in England

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Local Acts 1900". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
2. ^ Ordnance Survey 25-inch map Middlesex XX.7 (Heston and Isleworth), revised 1935, published 1936
3. ^ a b c "London area power supply" (PDF). metadyne. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
4. ^ "Electricity Act 1947". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
5. ^ Electricity Council (1987). Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. pp. 45, 60, 69, 73. ISBN 085188105X.
6. ^ a b c d Electricity Commissioners (1925). Electricity Supply – 1920–23. London: HMSO. pp. 42–45, 284–89.
7. ^ a b c Garrett, Frederick (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-64 A-123 A-142.
8. ^ London County Council (1915). London Statistics 1913–14 vol. XXIV. London: London County Council.
9. ^ London County Council (1922). London County Council London Statistics 1920–21 vol. XXVII. London: London County Council.
10. ^ London County Council (1926). London Statistics 1924–25 vol. 30. London: London County Council.
11. ^ London County Council (1939). London County Council London Statistics 1936–37 vol. 41. London: London County Council.
12. ^ Electricity Commissioners (1947). Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946. London: HMSO. p. 6.
13. ^ CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961, 1962 & 1963