Towyn power station
Towyn power station was a combined oil engine and hydro-electric generating station in Wales. It provided electricity to the towns of Towyn (Tywyn) and Aberdovey (Aberdyfi) and the surrounding district from the 1930s to the 1960s.
History
[edit]Towyn, Aberdovey and District Electricity Company Limited built a combined oil engine and water-turbine electricity generating plant at Happy Valley Towyn.[1] Upon the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948 the Towyn power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority.[2] The power station was decommissioned in the 1960s.[3]
Power station owners
[edit]The owners of the power station over its operational life were: Towyn, Aberdovey and District Electricity Company Limited (until 1948), British Electricity Authority (1948–55), Central Electricity Authority (1955–57), Central Electricity Generating Board (from 1958).[2]
Plant and equipment
[edit]The plant at Towyn power station comprised:[1]
- 5 × 183 kW oil engine sets, total capacity of 916 kW
- 1 × 34 kW water turbine set
The total generating capacity was 950 kW, the generating sets operated at 380, 400 and 420 V.
- In December 1951 a 400 kW English Electric diesel engine set was transferred from Aberystwyth power station.[1]
Operations
[edit]The operating conditions and electricity output of Towyn power station were:[1][4][5]
| Year | Running hours | Plant capacity kW | Electricity sent out MWh | Load factor per cent | Thermal efficiency per cent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | – | – | 1,291 | 36.4 | – |
| 1954 | 6948 | 950 | 1,631 | 24.7 | – |
| 1955 | 5212 | 950 | 1,726 | 34.9 | – |
| 1956 | 4345 | 950 | 1,262 | 30.6 | – |
| 1957 | 1661 | 950 | 321 | 20.3 | – |
| 1958 | 3997 | 900 | 909 | 23.9 | – |
| 1961 | – | 574 | 119 | 1.5 | 27.72 |
| 1962 | – | 642 | 139 | 2.8 | 28.54 |
| 1963 | – | 642 | 521 | 11.9 | 29.19 |
See also
[edit]- Timeline of the UK electricity supply industry
- List of power stations in Wales
- Hydroelectricity in the United Kingdom
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Garrett, Frederick C. (1959). Garcke's Manual of Electricity Supply vol. 56. London: Electrical Press. pp. A-101, A-144.
- ^ a b Electricity Council (1987). Electricity supply in the United Kingdom: a Chronology. London: Electricity Council. pp. 60, 69, 76. ISBN 085188105X.
- ^ The station is included in the CEGB Annual Report for 1963 but not in the CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1972
- ^ CEGB Annual report and Accounts, 1961, 1962 & 1963
- ^ Electricity Commissioners (1947). Electricity Commissioners: Generation of Electricity in Great Britain year ended 31 December 1946. London: HMSO. p. 14.