Staythorpe Power Station
Encyclopedia
Staythorpe C Power Station is a 1,700 MWe gas-fired power station between Southwell
and Newark-on-Trent
in Nottinghamshire
, between the River Trent
and Nottingham to Lincoln Line
. It opened in 2010.
was formally opened on 9 May 2011 and is owned by the German company, RWE npower plc
. It is the second largest CCGT (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine) power station in the UK and has an overall efficiency in excess of 58%.
It was built on the site of two former CEGB
coal-fired power station
, the 360 MW Staythorpe A (built July 1950) and B (built May 1962). Staythorpe A was closed on 31 October 1983 and had a generating capacity of 112 MW. Staythorpe B closed in 1994 with a generating capacity of 354 MW. There is still a large substation
next to the site of the former power stations, and a monument.
. The Pembrokeshire site was given the go ahead to proceed alongside Staythorpe in February 2009 once environmental conditions were assured to be met. The project at Staythorpe will be constructed under an Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by Alstom Power.
Alstom Power Ltd, the construction contractors, applied to Newark and Sherwood District Council in October 2008 for planning permission to develop an additional storage depot immediately adjacent to the village of Staythorpe. Many villagers have expressed concern about this and a campaign to oppose it has been set up.
It is situated around one mile from Newark, between the villages of Averham, to the north, and Farndon
, to the south with the address Staythorpe Road, Staythorpe, NG23 5PS. The north-east section of the power station is in the Averham parish, with the rest in Staythorpe.
The electricity 400 kV ZA transmission line
from Staythorpe to Grendon, Northamptonshire is being upgraded to prepare for the new power station.
-type power station that runs primarily on natural gas, but has the theoretical (not commisioned)option to switch to (distillate) fuel oil
. It will generate enough electricity for two million homes. It will consist of four KA26-1 modules, generating around 400 MWe each, each with an Alstom
288 MWe GT26B gas turbine
, triple-pressure heat recovery steam generator and steam turbine
. Electricity will be generated using Alstom TOPGAS hydrogen-cooled generator
s. The plant will have a thermal efficiency of around 58%.
Southwell, Nottinghamshire
Southwell is a town in Nottinghamshire, England, best known as the site of Southwell Minster, the seat of the Church of England diocese that covers Nottinghamshire...
and Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, between the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
and Nottingham to Lincoln Line
Nottingham to Lincoln Line
The Nottingham to Lincoln Line is a railway line in central England, running from Nottingham north east to Lincoln.The line between Newark and Lincoln is currently only cleared for speeds, Nottinghamshire County Council have paid for a study into running....
. It opened in 2010.
History
The £680 million plant near AverhamAverham
Averham is a village and civil parish in the Newark and Sherwood district of Nottinghamshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 187. The village is just west of Newark-on-Trent.-Averham weir:...
was formally opened on 9 May 2011 and is owned by the German company, RWE npower plc
Npower (UK)
RWE Npower plc is a UK-based electricity and gas supply generation company, formerly known as Innogy plc. As Innogy plc it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
. It is the second largest CCGT (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine) power station in the UK and has an overall efficiency in excess of 58%.
Former power plants
CEGB
The Central Electricity Generating Board was the cornerstone of the British electricity industry for almost 40 years; from 1957, to privatisation in the 1990s....
coal-fired power station
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...
, the 360 MW Staythorpe A (built July 1950) and B (built May 1962). Staythorpe A was closed on 31 October 1983 and had a generating capacity of 112 MW. Staythorpe B closed in 1994 with a generating capacity of 354 MW. There is still a large substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
next to the site of the former power stations, and a monument.
Planning process
Planning permission was given for the gas-fired power station as early as 1993, and construction originally began in 1998 by the previous owner National Power PLC, temporarily ceasing in 2000 due to market saturation and low returns on electricity generation (high gas costs versus low electricity prices). Construction restarted in early 2008, after RWE decided to proceed with Staythorpe in May 2007 in preference to development at an alternate site in Pembrokeshire PembrokePembroke Power Station
Pembroke B Power Station is a 2,000 MWe natural gas-fired power station currently under construction near Pembroke in Wales. The new power station is being built on the site of the former oil-fired power station which closed in 1997 and demolished in 2000....
. The Pembrokeshire site was given the go ahead to proceed alongside Staythorpe in February 2009 once environmental conditions were assured to be met. The project at Staythorpe will be constructed under an Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by Alstom Power.
Alstom Power Ltd, the construction contractors, applied to Newark and Sherwood District Council in October 2008 for planning permission to develop an additional storage depot immediately adjacent to the village of Staythorpe. Many villagers have expressed concern about this and a campaign to oppose it has been set up.
It is situated around one mile from Newark, between the villages of Averham, to the north, and Farndon
Farndon, Nottinghamshire
Farndon is a small village on the Fosse Way or A46 Roman road, 2.5 miles south-west of Newark-on-Trent, on the banks of the River Trent. The name Farndon means "Fern Hill". It is thought to be the site of the Roman fort Ad Pontem or "the place by the bridges." The parish church of St...
, to the south with the address Staythorpe Road, Staythorpe, NG23 5PS. The north-east section of the power station is in the Averham parish, with the rest in Staythorpe.
The electricity 400 kV ZA transmission line
Transmission line
In communications and electronic engineering, a transmission line is a specialized cable designed to carry alternating current of radio frequency, that is, currents with a frequency high enough that its wave nature must be taken into account...
from Staythorpe to Grendon, Northamptonshire is being upgraded to prepare for the new power station.
Resourcing of construction labour
The GMB trade union was displeased when Alstom recruited non-UK contract labour to build the power station.Specification
It is a CCGTCombined cycle
In electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators...
-type power station that runs primarily on natural gas, but has the theoretical (not commisioned)option to switch to (distillate) fuel oil
Fuel oil
Fuel oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. Broadly speaking, fuel oil is any liquid petroleum product that is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash...
. It will generate enough electricity for two million homes. It will consist of four KA26-1 modules, generating around 400 MWe each, each with an Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
288 MWe GT26B gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
, triple-pressure heat recovery steam generator and steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
. Electricity will be generated using Alstom TOPGAS hydrogen-cooled generator
Alternator
An alternator is an electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current.Most alternators use a rotating magnetic field but linear alternators are occasionally used...
s. The plant will have a thermal efficiency of around 58%.
External links
- RWE npower
- Specification of the power plant (PDF)
- KA26 CCGT power plant
- Former power station
- Power in Trust monument