Portobello Power Station Explained

Portobello Power Station
Location:Portobello, Edinburgh
Coordinates:55.9562°N -3.1199°W
Country:Scotland
Status:Decommissioned and demolished
Commissioned:1923
Decommissioned:1977
Th Fuel Primary:Coal

Portobello Power Station was a coal-fired power station in Portobello, Edinburgh which was built in 1923 by the Edinburgh Corporation in order to cope with the increasing demand for electricity in the city.[1]

History

Although originally intended to be built in 1913, its construction was delayed because of the First World War, and it was formally opened by King George V 10 years later.[2] [3] Its electricity was used to power Edinburgh and the surrounding region while waste heat warmed the water of Portobello Open Air Pool. In 1938 the design of the station was extended by Edinburgh architect Ebenezer James MacRae; its six individual chimneys were replaced with a single 365 feet tall stack,[4] which weighed 10,000 tons, was made up of 710,000 bricks[5] and cost in the region of £118,000 to build.[6]

Between 1952 and 1955, the power station achieved the highest thermal efficiency of any station in the UK, with peak output of around 279 megawatts,[7] although an explosion in February 1953 led to a two-hour power blackout across Edinburgh. The explosion, which could be heard a mile away, was caused by sea spray collecting on high-voltage insulators in the main-grid substation.[8]

The power station closed on 31 March 1977[9] and demolished in 1980; a new housing estate was built on the site. During demolition, the chimney had to be taken down brick by brick because of its proximity to nearby houses.[10]

The Portobello coat-of-arms on the power station was rescued during demolition and it was planned to incorporate it into a new sports centre to be built in the area.[11] This never happened and in 2016 the broken coat of arms was located in a City of Edinburgh Council storage facility in the west of Edinburgh.[12]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Lost Edinburgh: Portobello Power Station. 2018-04-14. en.
  2. News: Remember When: Portobello Power Station's power and glory. 2018-04-14. en.
  3. Book: Portobello Power Station. British Electrical Authority S.E. Scotland Division. 1950. 2.
  4. https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/giant-lost-edinburgh-power-station-23024851 The giant lost Edinburgh power station that once dominated the city skyline
  5. News: Some 'Lum!'. 23 September 1948. Edinburgh Evening News.
  6. News: Edinburgh's great new landmark. January 1954. The Evening News.
  7. News: City landmark bows out with a bang. 18 December 1978. The Scotsman.
  8. News: 2-hour black-out in Edinburgh. 14 February 1953. The Scotsman.
  9. News: A pile of rubble that was once a landmark. 17 July 1980. Evening News.
  10. News: Brick by Brick. 11 May 1978. The Evening News.
  11. News: Coat of Arms. February 1991. Portobello Reporter.
  12. Web site: Calls to restore city coat of arms torn down from Portobello power station. www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. 8 June 2016 . en. 2019-06-29.