North Tees Power Station
Encyclopedia
North Tees Power Station refers to a series of three coal-fired power stations
on the River Tees
at Billingham
in County Durham
. Overall, they operated from 1921 until 1983, and the C station, the last on the site, was demolished in 1987. Billingham Biomass Power Station
is to be built on their site.
and North Yorkshire
. To supply the newly acquired area, NESCo built the North Tees Power Station on the banks of the River Tees
at Billingham
. The construction of the station began in 1917 and was completed for opening in 1921.
. The station used two Metropolitan-Vickers
20,000 kilowatt (kW) turbo-alternators to generate electricity, giving it a total generating capacity of 40,000 kW. The Babcock & Wilcox boilers which were used to provided the steam to the turbines in the station, were famous in engineering circles at the time. In 1918 the boilers became the first in the world to use steam at up to 450 psi, and pioneered the practice of reheating it during expansion in the turbine plant. This development resulted in a further increase in the efficiency of power generation, and an appreciable decrease in the quantity of coal consumed per unit of electricity generated. In 1922, W.S. Monroe of the Chicago
based consulting firm Sargent & Lundy described North Tees Power Station as "the most advanced power station in the world".
The station was connected by NESCo's high voltage transmission lines to their power stations on the River Tyne
, for successful running "in parallel". When the UK's national grid distribution system was brought into use in 1932, the station was one of a small number of stations in the region to be converted from the 40 hertz
(Hz) frequency used by the North Eastern grid system to the 50 Hz frequency used by the national system. However, the nearby ICI
plant, which operated its own power station, required the North Tees A station's power as back-up, but the power needed to be supplied at 40 Hz, and so the A station retained three frequency changers to supply back-up power for many years after the change over, until the 1950s, when new electrical equipment needed to be ordered at the ICI plant.
and one Metropolitan-Vickers
turbines, each driving two alternators in tandem. It was demolished in the late 1960s.
when NESCo was nationalised in 1948. The station was built by the Cleveland Bridge Company
and completed in 1949.
, who also designed Battersea Power Station
. The station was one of the first in the world to have used hydrogen cooled generators
. It was also the first in England to use 66,000 V air blast switchgear
.
, who used it to provide electricity for its factories in Billingham. The station was decommissioned on 31 October 1983, with a generating capacity of 236 MW. It was demolished in 1987.
owned by Able UK Ltd
. On 15 October 2009, planning permission was granted for the Billingham Biomass Power Station
, which is to be built on the site of the former coal fired power stations.
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...
on the River Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
at Billingham
Billingham
Billingham is a town in the unitary authority of Stockton on Tees, in north east England, with a population of 35,765 . It was founded circa 650 by a group of Saxons known as Billa's people, which is where the name Billingham is thought to have originated...
in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. Overall, they operated from 1921 until 1983, and the C station, the last on the site, was demolished in 1987. Billingham Biomass Power Station
Billingham Biomass Power Station
Billingham Biomass Power Station is a planned biomass power station, that is to be built on the River Tees at Billingham. It is to be built on the site of the former coal-fired North Tees Power Station. The station will have a generating capacity of 45 megawatts .The station was granted planning...
is to be built on their site.
History
In 1917, the Newcastle upon Tyne Electric Supply Company (NESCo) took control of the principal electrical undertakings for a large area in south County DurhamCounty Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
and North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
. To supply the newly acquired area, NESCo built the North Tees Power Station on the banks of the River Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
at Billingham
Billingham
Billingham is a town in the unitary authority of Stockton on Tees, in north east England, with a population of 35,765 . It was founded circa 650 by a group of Saxons known as Billa's people, which is where the name Billingham is thought to have originated...
. The construction of the station began in 1917 and was completed for opening in 1921.
Design and specification
The station was designed by the engineering consultants Merz & McLellanMerz & McLellan
Merz and McLellan was a leading British electrical engineering consultancy based in Newcastle.-History:The firm was founded by Charles Merz and William McLellan in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1902 when McLellan joined Merz's existing firm established in 1899...
. The station used two Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
20,000 kilowatt (kW) turbo-alternators to generate electricity, giving it a total generating capacity of 40,000 kW. The Babcock & Wilcox boilers which were used to provided the steam to the turbines in the station, were famous in engineering circles at the time. In 1918 the boilers became the first in the world to use steam at up to 450 psi, and pioneered the practice of reheating it during expansion in the turbine plant. This development resulted in a further increase in the efficiency of power generation, and an appreciable decrease in the quantity of coal consumed per unit of electricity generated. In 1922, W.S. Monroe of the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
based consulting firm Sargent & Lundy described North Tees Power Station as "the most advanced power station in the world".
The station was connected by NESCo's high voltage transmission lines to their power stations on the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
, for successful running "in parallel". When the UK's national grid distribution system was brought into use in 1932, the station was one of a small number of stations in the region to be converted from the 40 hertz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
(Hz) frequency used by the North Eastern grid system to the 50 Hz frequency used by the national system. However, the nearby ICI
ICI
ICI or Ici may mean:* ICI programming language, a computer programming language developed in 1992* Ici , an alternative weekly newspaper in Montreal, CanadaICI is also an abbreviation which may mean:...
plant, which operated its own power station, required the North Tees A station's power as back-up, but the power needed to be supplied at 40 Hz, and so the A station retained three frequency changers to supply back-up power for many years after the change over, until the 1950s, when new electrical equipment needed to be ordered at the ICI plant.
Closure
The A station closed in 1959, after a number of years being used as a reserve station for high demand. Following closure, Metropolitan-Vickers took the rotors from the stations and tested them to destruction, to find out why the older machines were more efficient than the new ones.North Tees B
The B station was commissioned in 1934, and used pulverised fuel firing, an advanced technology at the time the station was built. The station generated electricity using two ParsonsC. A. Parsons and Company
C. A. Parsons and Company was a British engineering firm which was once one of the largest employers on Tyneside.-History:The Company was founded by Charles Algernon Parsons in 1889 to produce turbo-generators, his own invention. At the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the company was producing...
and one Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
turbines, each driving two alternators in tandem. It was demolished in the late 1960s.
History
North Tees C Station was proposed in 1945, by the original two stations' operators, NESCo. However, the scheme was taken over by the British Electricity AuthorityBritish 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...
when NESCo was nationalised in 1948. The station was built by the Cleveland Bridge Company
Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company
The Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company is a renowned bridge building and structural engineering company based in Darlington, England. It has been involved in many major projects including the Victoria Falls Bridge and the Humber Bridge.-History:...
and completed in 1949.
Design and specification
It used two 60,000 kilowatt (kW) turbo-alternators, giving it a total generating capacity of 120 MW. The station had originally been planned to use four such machines, two planned for commissioning in 1950, and the others in 1952, however only two were eventually installed. The station's exterior was designed by Giles Gilbert ScottGiles Gilbert Scott
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, OM, FRIBA was an English architect known for his work on such buildings as Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station and designing the iconic red telephone box....
, who also designed Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Battersea, South London. The station comprises two individual power stations, built in two stages in the form of a single building. Battersea A Power Station was built first in the...
. The station was one of the first in the world to have used hydrogen cooled generators
Hydrogen-cooled turbogenerator
A hydrogen-cooled turbo generator is a turbo generator with gaseous hydrogen as a coolant. Hydrogen-cooled turbo generators are designed to provide a low-drag atmosphere and cooling for single-shaft and combined-cycle applications in combination with steam turbines...
. It was also the first in England to use 66,000 V air blast switchgear
Switchgear
The term switchgear, used in association with the electric power system, or grid, refers to the combination of electrical disconnects, fuses and/or circuit breakers used to isolate electrical equipment. Switchgear is used both to de-energize equipment to allow work to be done and to clear faults...
.
Closure
In the 1980s it was operated by Imperial Chemical IndustriesImperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
, who used it to provide electricity for its factories in Billingham. The station was decommissioned on 31 October 1983, with a generating capacity of 236 MW. It was demolished in 1987.
Future of site
The station's site is currently part of Billingham Reach Industrial Estate, an international wharfWharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
owned by Able UK Ltd
Able UK
Able UK is a British based company specialising in the rehabilitation and development of disused sites and facilities, demolition, site reclamation, re-mediation, regeneration and waste disposal...
. On 15 October 2009, planning permission was granted for the Billingham Biomass Power Station
Billingham Biomass Power Station
Billingham Biomass Power Station is a planned biomass power station, that is to be built on the River Tees at Billingham. It is to be built on the site of the former coal-fired North Tees Power Station. The station will have a generating capacity of 45 megawatts .The station was granted planning...
, which is to be built on the site of the former coal fired power stations.