Rugeley Power Station

Infobox UK power station
static_

static_image_caption=Regeley Power Station in April 2008.
os_grid_reference=SK056177
latitude=52.756993
longitude=-1.916272
country=England
region=West Midlands
shire_county=Staffordshire
operator=International Power
fuel=Coal-fired
fuel_capacity=1000MW
opened=1963

Rugeley Power Station is a coal-fired power station located near Rugeley in Staffordshire. The station has an output of 1,000 megawatts (MW) and has a 400 kilovolt (kV) connection to the national grid. The station has the capacity to power half a million homes roughly. [cite web
title = Welcome to Rugeley Power Station
work = Switch on to Rugeley Power
publisher =
url = http://www.rugeleypower.com/
accessdate = 2008-09-24]

History

There was originally a Rugeley A Power Station. Construction of the A stations started in 1956, before opening in 1963. The station was the first joint venture between the CEGB and NCB. The station took coal directly from the neighbouring Lee Hall Colliery by conveyor belt. This was the first such arrangement in Britain. The Lea Hall colliery was closed and demolished in 1991. The cooling towers built at Rugeley were the world's first large dry cooling towers, and the first large scale experiment with a design aimed at eliminating water loss. Rugeley A was also the first power station in Britain to be controlled entirely from a control room. Rugeley B Power Station was commissioned in 1970 to work with the A station, and was completed by 1972. With both stations in operation, 850 people were employed at the stations in 1983. The current figure is only 146. The A station was closed in 1995. [cite web
title = Rugeley B Power Station in 360°
work = BBC Staffordshire
publisher = BBC
url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/360/rugeleypower/index.shtml
accessdate = 2008-09-24] A Flue Gas Desulfurization plant is currently being constructed at the B station. This will allow it to continue to generate electricity and comply with environmental legislation.

Specification

The station uses two 500 MW generating sets, which can produce 8,760,000 MWh each year. [cite web
title = Electricity Generation
work = Switch on to Rugeley Power
publisher =
url = http://www.rugeleypower.com/Pages/electricity%20generation.htm
accessdate = 2008-09-24] The station usually burns 1.6 million tonnes of coal a year, producing 240,000 tonnes of ash. [cite web
title = Burrow Pit
work = Switch on to Rugeley Power
publisher =
url = http://www.rugeleypower.com/Pages/borrow%20pit.htm
accessdate = 2008-09-24]

References