Nechells power stations

Nechells power stations were three coal-fired electricity generating stations in Nechells that supplied electricity to Birmingham and the surrounding area from 1915 to 1982.

History
Birmingham had been supplied with electricity from several local generating stations. These included Dale End, 1.5 MW (1891); Water Street, 3.5 MW (1895); Aston Manor, 7 MW, (1903); Handsworth, 1.05 MW (1905); and Summer Lane, 36.5 MW (1906). The growth of demand for electricity meant that increasing generating capacity was needed. A large power station at Nechells was identified in 1912 as being necessary to meet current and future demand.

At the start of the First World War the Birmingham Corporation together with Shropshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire Electric Power Company proposed to build two large power stations one at Nechells (2 × 15 MW alternators) and one at Stourport (3 × 15 MW machines) to meet their needs. However, the estimated cost of £2.75 million was too much and the government refused to support the proposal.

Nechells Temporary station
The 1914-18 war created an additional significant demand for electricity. The City of Birmingham Electricity Supply Department decided that a temporary power station should be constructed at Nechells rather than to wait for the large power station to be built and commissioned. The temporary station was completed in 1915. The station was owned and operated by the City of Birmingham Electricity Supply Department.

The plant comprised:


 * Boilers with a total steam generating capacity of 420,000 lbs/hour (52.9 kg/s)
 * Two 5.0 MW turbo-alternators
 * Two 6.0 MW turbo-alternators

The total electricity output capacity was 22.0 MW. The temporary station was decommissioned and demolished in the late 1920s.

Nechells A (Prince's station)
Construction started in 1919 on a 23 acre site adjoining the temporary power station and commercial operation began in 1922. It was inaugurated by the Prince of Wales on 13 June 1923. The Prince started up no.1 turbo-alternator, unveiled a bronze plaque commemorating his visit and was presented with a model of the generator. The A station was owned and operated by the City of Birmingham Electricity Supply Department. Following nationalisation of the electricity generation, transmission and supply industry in 1948 ownership was transferred to the British Electricity Authority (1948-55), followed by the Central Electricity Authority (1955-58) and finally to the Central Electricity Generating Board (1958-69).

The plant at the A station comprised:


 * Boilers, 17 Babcock & Wilcox, and one Simon Carves with a total evaporative capacity of 694,000 lbs/hour (87.4 kg/s). Steam conditions were 320 psi and 710 °F (22.1 barg and 377 °C)
 * Two 18.75 MW British Thomson-Houston turbo-alternators
 * Four 18.75 MW General Electric Company turbo-alternators
 * Two 1.875 MW DC turbo-generators
 * Cooling was by 35 wooden cooling towers with a total capacity of 6.057 million gallons per hour (7.65 m3/s)

The station was commissioned in phases as the generating machines were available, these were in July 1922, November 1922, June 1924, March 1925, September 1925, and May 1927. Turbo-alternators 5 and 6 were supplied with steam from the B station.

The output of the A station over the period 1946-69 was: The A station was closed in 1969.

Nechells B
Nechells B was approved by the Central Electricity Board in 1945. It was built adjacent to the A station. The B station was owned and operated by the British Electricity Authority (1948-55), the Central Electricity Authority (1955-58) and finally to the Central Electricity Generating Board (1958-82).

The plant comprised:


 * Boilers, 12 International Combustion, with a total evaporative capacity of 2,760,000 lbs/hour (348 kg/s). Steam conditions were 675 psi and 850 °F (46.56 barg and 454 °C)
 * Four Parsons 52.5 MW turbo-alternators
 * Cooling was by three ferro-concrete cooling towers each of 4 million gallons per hour (5.05 m3/s)

The station opened in stages: June 1951, December 1951, November 1952 and September 1953.

The output of the station over the period 1954 to 1982 was: The B station closed on 1 November 1982. It was subsequently demolished.