Marchwiel power station was an electricity generating plant providing a central source of electric current for the Marchwiel Trading Estate near Wrexham. It was under state ownership and operation from 1950 to 1960.
| Marchwiel power station | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Wales |
| Location | Marchwiel |
| Coordinates | 53°01′55″N 02°55′25″W / 53.03194°N 2.92361°W |
| Status | Decommissioned |
| Commission date | c.1950 |
| Decommission date | c.1960 |
| Owner(s) | South Wales and Monmouthshire Trading Estates Company Limited (?–1950) British Electricity Authority (1950–1955) Central Electricity Authority (1955–1957) Central Electricity Generating Board (1958–1960) |
| Operator(s) | As owner |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Coal |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 1 x 7.5 MW, 1 x 4.65 MW |
| Make and model | Parsons, British Thomson-Houston |
| Nameplate capacity | 12.41 MW |
| Annual net output | 28.8 GWh (1956) |
History edit
The Marchwiel Trading Estate, south east of Wrexham, was developed after the Second World War on the site of a Royal Ordnance Factory.[1] Electricity for the estate was generated by a power station initially operated by the South Wales and Monmouthshire Trading Estates Company Limited. This company was established in 1936 to promote the development of a diverse range of industry in Wales and built several industrial estates.[2]
The British Electricity Authority (BEA) purchased Marchwiel power station from the South Wales Company on 1 October 1950.[3] The BEA developed the station with new plant, but it was divested by the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) in 1960.[3][4]
Generating plant edit
The plant comprised:[3]
4 × 50,000 lb/h (6.3 kg/s) John Thompson boilers with chain grate stokers. Steam conditions were 250 psi and 650°F (17.2 bar and 343°C), these supplied steam to:
1 × 7.5 MW Parsons turbo-alternator
1 × 4.65 MW British Thomson-Houston turbo-alternator, commissioned in May 1952
There was also a 260 kW oil engine, house services set.
Condenser cooling was by circulating cooling water plus three wooden Davenport cooling towers each rated at 0.255 million gallons per hour (1159 m3/h), plus one reinforced concrete cooling tower rated at 0.3 million gallons per hour (1364 m3/h); the concrete tower was commissioned in May 1952.[3]
The operating data was as follows:[3]
| Year | Running hours | Output capacity MW | Electricity sent out MWh | Thermal efficiency per cent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 2731 | 11 | 24,365 | 15.25 |
| 1955 | 2705 | 11 | 25,176 | 14.42 |
| 1956 | 3628 | 11 | 28,796 | 14.69 |
| 1957 | 2989 | 11 | 18,793 | 14.07 |
| 1958 | 2656 | 11 | 144,875 | 12.74 |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Marchwiel Royal Ordinance factory (308980)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ "Treforest Industrial Estate". Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Garrett, Frederick (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-76 A-127.
- ^ The power station is included in Garrett F. (ed) Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol 56 (1959), but does not appear in the CEGB Annual Report 1961