The Lancashire Electric Power Company
Encyclopedia
The Lancashire Electric Power Company was one of the largest private electricity companies in the UK. It was established by Act of Parliament in 1900.
which was opened by the Earl of Derby
on 9 October 1905. This had to 1,500 kW turbo sets manufactured by British Thomson-Houston
, generated at 10 kV (the first power station in the UK to transmit by bare electric conductors at 10kV).
The first customer was the Acme Spinning Company in Pendlebury
which with 75,000 spindles
was the first cotton spinning mill
in Lancashire to be designed for powering by electricity.
The plant was soon duplicated with six boilers feeding four 1,500 kW sets. The equipment was so simple that the whole power station could be operated by a shift of six or seven men.
It reached full capacity in December 1922 with ten sets giving 42,375 kW.
A second power station at Padiham
opened in 1926 with a capacity of 30,625 kW and a third at Kearsley
in November 1929 with eventually two 32,000 kW and two 51,600 kW sets. Kearsley was able to burn waste material from local factories.
The company was nationalised in 1948 into the North Western Electricity Board (NWEB) when the total capacity was 284,750 kW.
Radcliffe Power Station closed in 1959, Kearsley in 1981. Padiham was replaced by a new power station on an adjacent site in the late 1950s (Padiham "B") but finally closed in 1993.
The company pioneered accurate metering with its own Meter and Testing Department in Walkden
.
History
Its original power station was the Radcliffe Power StationRadcliffe Power Station
Radcliffe Power Station was a coal-fired power station in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, England.-History:The station was opened on 9 October 1905 by the Earl of Derby. It generated electricity using two 1.5 megawatt turbo generating sets made by British Thomson-Houston...
which was opened by the Earl of Derby
Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby
Frederick Arthur Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, PC , known as Frederick Stanley until 1886 and as Lord Stanley of Preston between 1886 and 1893, was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom who served as Colonial Secretary from 1885 to 1886 and the sixth Governor General...
on 9 October 1905. This had to 1,500 kW turbo sets manufactured by British Thomson-Houston
British Thomson-Houston
British Thomson-Houston was a British engineering and heavy industrial company, based at Rugby, Warwickshire, England. They were known primarily for their electrical systems and steam turbines. They were merged with the similar Metropolitan-Vickers company in 1928, but the two maintained their own...
, generated at 10 kV (the first power station in the UK to transmit by bare electric conductors at 10kV).
The first customer was the Acme Spinning Company in Pendlebury
Pendlebury
Pendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies to the northwest of Manchester city centre, northwest of Salford, and southeast of Bolton....
which with 75,000 spindles
Spindle (textiles)
A spindle is a wooden spike used for spinning wool, flax, hemp, cotton, and other fibres into thread. It is commonly weighted at either the bottom middle or top, most commonly by a circular or spherical object called a whorl, and may also have a hook, groove or notch, though spindles without...
was the first cotton spinning mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
in Lancashire to be designed for powering by electricity.
The plant was soon duplicated with six boilers feeding four 1,500 kW sets. The equipment was so simple that the whole power station could be operated by a shift of six or seven men.
It reached full capacity in December 1922 with ten sets giving 42,375 kW.
A second power station at Padiham
Padiham Power Station
Padiham Power Station was a coal-fired power station in Padiham, east Lancashire, England, which began operation in 1926 and generated power from 1927 till it was closed in 1993.-Location:...
opened in 1926 with a capacity of 30,625 kW and a third at Kearsley
Kearsley Power Station
Kearsley Power Station was a coal-fired power station in Stoneclough, near Kearsley, Greater Manchester, England. It was designed in 1927 by Dr H.F.Parshall for The Lancashire Electric Power Company. The original installation was known as Kearsley 'A', comprising two British Thomson-Houston ...
in November 1929 with eventually two 32,000 kW and two 51,600 kW sets. Kearsley was able to burn waste material from local factories.
The company was nationalised in 1948 into the North Western Electricity Board (NWEB) when the total capacity was 284,750 kW.
Radcliffe Power Station closed in 1959, Kearsley in 1981. Padiham was replaced by a new power station on an adjacent site in the late 1950s (Padiham "B") but finally closed in 1993.
The company pioneered accurate metering with its own Meter and Testing Department in Walkden
Walkden
Walkden is a town within the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester....
.