# Uxbridge power station

Uxbridge power station supplied electricity to the District of Uxbridge and the surrounding area from 1902 to 1962. The power station was built by the Uxbridge and District Electric Supply Company Limited which operated it until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948.

## History

The Uxbridge and District Electric Supply Company Limited was established in 1899 as a local enterprise to obtain Provisional Orders under the Electric Lighting Acts to generate and supply electricity to the District of Uxbridge. An Order was granted by the Board of Trade and was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 12) Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. clxx). Further Provisional Orders were obtained in 1903 and 1906.
The company was formed with capital of £1,000. By 1908 the capital amounted to £75,000, in 1911 the Company issued further stock of £75,000. The directors in 1911 were: Charles H McEuen (Director); Theodor Petersen (Assistant Manager); James O. Callender (Assistant Manager).
The power station in Waterloo Road Uxbridge (51°32’32”N 0°29’15”W) began to supply electricity in May 1902. The site was adjacent to the Grand Union Canal for delivery of coal by barge and for cooling water.
The Central Electricity Board built the first stages of the National Grid between 1927 and 1933. Uxbridge power station was connected to the 132 kV electricity grid.
In 1913 the electricity supply area included Greenford Urban District (UD); Hayes UD; Uxbridge UD; Uxbridge Rural District (RD); and Yiewsley UD. By 1936 the supply area included: Amersham RD; Beaconsfield UD; Ealing Metropolitan Borough (MB); Eton RD; Harrow UD; Hayes & Harlington UD; Ruislip-Northwood UD; Southall MB; and Yiewsley and West Drayton UD.
The British electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6 c. 54). The Uxbridge and District Electric Supply Company Limited was abolished, ownership of Uxbridge power station were vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB). At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Uxbridge and District Electric Supply Company Limited were transferred to the South Eastern Electricity Board (SEEBOARD).
Following nationalisation Uxbridge power station became part of the Uxbridge electricity supply district, covering an area of 69 square miles (179 km$^2$).
Uxbridge power station was closed in 1963.

## Equipment specification
### Plant in 1913 & 1919

The capacity and output of the generating plant at Uxbridge power station in 1913 and 1919 was as shown.
Generating plant 1913 & 1919 :
| Year | 1913 | 1919 |
| Capacity of plant, kW | 1,100 | 3,600 |
| Connections, kW | 2,098 | 4,347 |
| Maximum Load, kW | 550 | 1,625 |

### Plant in 1923

By 1923 the plant at Uxbridge comprised boilers delivering a total of 105,000 lb/h (13.2 kg/s) of steam to:
* 1 × 200 kW reciprocating engine generating alternating current (AC)
* 2 × 300 kW reciprocating engine generating AC
* 1 × 650 kW turbo-alternator generating AC
* 2 × 1,000 kW turbo-alternator generating AC
* 1 × 1,500 kW turbo-alternator generating AC
The total generating capacity was 4,950 kW.

### Plant in 1936

The plant data for 1936 was:
| Capacity of plant, kW | 4,850 |
| Connections, kW | 123,629 |
| Maximum Load, kW | 22,648 |

### Plant in 1954

By 1954 the plant comprised:
* Boilers:
** 5 × Babcock and Wilcox marine boilers total evaporative capacity was 81,000 lb/h (10.2 kg/s), steam conditions were 200 psi and 600 °F (13.8 bar and 315 °C), steam was supplied to:
* Generators:
** 2 × 1.1 MW Brush-Ljungstrom turbo-alternators, 3-phase, 50 Hz, 6,600 volts
** 1 × 1.8 MW Brush-Ljungstrom turbo-alternators, 3-phase, 50 Hz, 6,600 volts
The total installed generating capacity was 4 MW.

## Operations
### Operating data 1913 and 1919

Operating data for Uxbridge power station in 1913 and 1919 was:
| Year | 1913 | 1919 |
| Electricity generated, MWh | 1,266 | 4,532 |
| Number of customers | 714 | 1,312 |
| Electricity supply | 200 V 400 V AC | 200 V 400 V AC |

### Operating data 1921–23

The electricity supply data for the period 1921–23 was:
Uxbridge power station supply data 1921–23 :
| Electricity Use | Units | Year | Year | Year |
| Electricity Use | Units | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 |
| Lighting and domestic | MWh | 821.7 | 988.7 | 1,227.8 |
| Public lighting | MWh | 8.4 | 11.0 | 17.3 |
| Traction | MWh | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power | MWh | 2,870 | 3,327 | 6,286 |
| Bulk supply | MWh | 1,257 | 3,520 | 2,506 |
| Total use | MWh | 4,957 | 7,847 | 10,038 |
Electricity Loads on the system were:
| Year | Year | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 |
| Maximum load | kW | 3,280 | 4,320 | 5,218 |
| Total connections | kW | 6,860 | 8,001 | 10,398 |
| Load factor | Per cent | 21.8 | 26.8 | 27.2 |
Revenue from the sale of current (in 1923) was £99,106; the surplus of revenue over expenses was £49,470

### Operating data 1931–36

Operating data for the station over the period 1931–36 was.
| Year | Electricity sold MWh | Electricity generated MWh | Number of customers |
| 1931 | 33,569 | 2,970 | |
| 1932 | | | |
| 1933 | 39,636 | | |
| 1934 | 46,898 | | |
| 1935 | 52,915 | | |
| 1936 | 65,312 | 2,963 | 37,501 |

### Operating data 1946

In 1946 Uxbridge power station supplied 932.08 MWh of electricity; the maximum output load was 5,700 kW.

### Operating data 1954–63

Operating data for the period 1954–63 was:
Uxbridge power station operating data, 1954–63 :
| Year | Running hours, or (load as % of max capacity) | Max output capacity MW | Electricity supplied MWh | Thermal efficiency per cent |
| 1954 | 261 | 4 | 513 | 3.88 |
| 1955 | 476 | 4 | 1,197 | 5.99 |
| 1956 | 311 | 4 | 752 | 2.15 |
| 1957 | 159 | 4 | 271 | 3.28 |
| 1958 | 161 | 4 | 316 | 3.48 |
| 1961 | (0.3%) | 4 | 97 | 3.07 |
| 1962 | (0.4%) | 4 | 128 | 3.81 |
The electricity output of Uxbridge power station, MWh