Newbury power station supplied electricity to the town of Newbury, Berkshire and the surrounding area from 1905 to 1970. It was owned and operated by a succession of public and private organisations. It comprised, at various times, hydro-electric, gas engine and diesel engine powered plant with a maximum output capacity of 2.57 MW.
History The Board of Trade granted Newbury Corporation a Provisional Order in 1892 to generate and supply electricity to Newbury under the Electric Lighting Acts. The was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 3) Act 1892 (55 & 56 Vict. c. xxxviii). However, the town council did not develop the electricity undertaking.
In 1901 the Urban Electric Supply Company obtained a provisional order to supply electricity to Newbury. The Urban Electric Supply Company was founded in 1898 to obtain parliamentary powers to operate smaller electric light and tramway undertakings. The was confirmed by the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 7) Act 1901 (1 Edw. 7. c. clxxiv).
The Urban Electric Supply Company built the power station at Greenham Mill ()Ordnance Survey 25 inch England and Wales, Berkshire XLIII.1 (Greenham; Newbury), revised 1932, published 1934 over the River Kennet and which opened in January 1905. It used water wheels to generate electricity; the maximum head of water over Greenham weir was . In addition to the hydro-electric plant, gas-fired generators were installed at the power station.
Electricity was sold to customers in 1923 at 9.57 d./kWh for lighting and domestic use, and 3.26 d./kWh for power uses. The financial operating summary for the undertaking was as follows: +Newbury electricity undertaking financial summary 1922–23Year19221923Expenditure charged to capital account£72,204£71,992Revenue from sale of current£11,106£12,293Total revenue from working£11,850£13,040Total working costs£6,114£6,250Surplus of revenue over expenses£5,488£6,556Gross surplus£5,564£6,664
In 1937 the Wessex Electricity Company assumed ownership of several small municipal and company electricity undertakings, including Newbury. The Wessex company was founded in 1927 to distribute electricity across south-west England. It aimed to modernise, rationalise and integrate the distribution networks of its constituent companies. Its share capital was wholly owned by Edmundsons Electricity Corporation.
The water wheels and gas engines were decommissioned and replaced with diesel engine sets.
The British electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6. c. 54). The Newbury electricity undertaking was abolished, ownership of Newbury power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Newbury electricity undertaking were transferred to the Southern Electricity Board (SEB).
Newbury power station closed in about 1970.The station is listed in the CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1967 but not in the 1972 edition
Plant equipment Plant in 1923 The generating plant at Newbury in 1923 comprised:
1 × 52 kW water wheel, and direct current generator 1 × 60 kW water wheel, DC generator 2 × 80 kW gas engines, DC generator 2 × 200 kW gas engines, DC generator
This gave a total output of 672 kW.
Electricity was provided to customers at 480 and 240 Volts direct current.
Plant in 1955 The generating plant at Newbury in 1955 comprised:
1 × 110 kW diesel engine set DC 500 volts 2 × 180 kW diesel engine set DC 500 volts 1 × 1050 kW Ruston-Peebles diesel engine set 11 kV (installed December 1954) 1 × 1050 kW Ruston-Peebles diesel engine set 11 kV (installed January 1955)
The total generating capacity was 2.57 MW.
Operations Operations 1921-23 Electricity supply data for 1921-23 was: +Newbury power station electricity supply data 1921–23Electricity UseUnitsYear192119221923Lighting and domesticMWh183165186Public lightingMWh000PowerMWh409363360Bulk supplyMWh000Total useMWh592528546 Electricity Loads on the system were: Year192119221923Maximum loadkW300298348Total connectionskW159316641746Load factorPer cent25.925.022.2
Operations 1946-67 The operating data for Newbury power station was:CEGB Annual Report 1961-63, CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1967, 1972 +Newbury power station operating data, 1946–67YearRunning hours or load factor (per cent)Max output capacity kWElectricity supplied MWhThermal efficiency per cent1946––187–195472552022760.21955467262076062.119569542620176270.51957312257054768.219585642570105572.819612.6%300058431.9919623.1%300069532.1719635.10%2000133932.40196714.7%3880494031.74
See also Timeline of the UK electricity supply industry List of power stations in England
References