| Reading power station | |
| Country: | England |
| Location: | Reading |
| Status: | Decommissioned and demolished |
| Commissioned: | 1895 |
| Decommissioned: | 1960s |
| Owner: | Reading Electric Supply Company Limited (1893–1930s) Reading Corporation (1930s–1948) British Electricity Authority (1948–1955) Central Electricity Authority (1955–1957) Central Electricity Generating Board (1958–1970) |
| Operator: | As owner |
| Th Fuel Primary: | Coal |
| Th Technology: | Steam turbines |
| Ps Cooling Towers: | none |
| Ps Cooling Source: | river water |
| Ps Units Operational: | 2 x 1.5 MW, 2 x 3.75 MW (1955) |
| Ps Units Decommissioned: | all |
| Ps Electrical Capacity: | 10.7 MW |
| Ps Annual Generation: | 7,510 MWh (1946) |
Reading power station, Berkshire, England supplied electricity to the town of Reading and the surrounding area from 1895 to the 1960s. It was initially owned and operated by the Reading Electric Supply Company Limited, then from 1933 by the Reading Corporation until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The power station was redeveloped several times with new equipment replacing retired plant. The station was decommissioned in the late 1960s.
In 1893 the Reading Electric Supply Company Limited applied for a Provisional Order under the Electric Lighting Acts to generate and supply electricity to the town. This was granted by the Board of Trade and was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No. 5) Act 1893 (57 & 58 Vict. c. cxli).[1] The company built a power station in Vastern Road Reading (51°27'42"N 0°58'18"W)[2] and supplied electricity from November 1895.[3] The riverside location facilitated the supply of coal by barge, and provided cooling water for the power station.
In 1910 the Reading Electric Supply Company obtained the Reading and District Electric Supply Act 1910 (10 Edw. 7 & 1 Geo. 5 c. xxix)[4] which permitted it to extend its area of supply. In 1914 the company further extended its supply area through the means of the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No.7) Act 1914 (4 & 5 Geo. 5 c. cxx).[5] The supply area included Reading, Caversham, Mapledurham, Tilehurst and Theale; it provided electricity in bulk to York Town, Blackwater, Henley, Shiplake, Twyford and Sonning.[6]
The Reading Electric Supply Company Limited was registered on 22 January 1892. It generated and supplied electricity to the town of Reading and the surrounding area through the construction of a generating station at Reading and an electricity distribution network of high voltage cables. In 1921 the company operated 30 miles of feeder mains, 71 miles of distribution and service mains, with 1,890 kW of transformer and substation equipment.
In 1921 the company chairman was William May; the managing director was G. W. Spenser Hawkes; the other directors were Sir Phillip Dawson, Charles Ernest Hewett, John May and William Pole Routh. By 1926 John E Broadbent had replaced C. E. Hewett. The company's registered office was 3–5 Market Place Reading.[7]
The company raised capital through the issue of shares. For example, in 1921 it issued share capital of £152,000 in £1 shares and £100,000 7 ½ percent first mortgage debenture stock; in 1926 it issued £152,125 in £1 shares and £150,000 6 percent debenture stock. The revenue and profits of the company are outlined below.
In 1933 Reading Corporation acquired the electricity undertaking of the Reading Electric Supply Company Limited for £443,000.[8] The company was subsequently wound up.
The original plant at Reading power station comprised horizontal compound condensing engines coupled directly to flywheel alternators. In 1898 the generating capacity was 375 kW and the maximum electricity load was 216 kW.
New plant was installed to meet growing demand for electricity. By 1923 the generating plant comprised:[9]
These machines gave a total generating capacity of 3,250 kW of alternating current and 850 kW DC.
A variety of electricity supplies were available to consumers:
New plant was commissioned as older plant was retired from service. By the 1950s Reading power station comprised:[10]
The boilers had a total evaporative capacity of 160,000 lb/h (20.2 kg/s), and supplied steam to:
There was also 1 × 200 kW Diesel engine set
The completed total installed generating capacity was 10.7 MW, with an output capacity of 10 MW.
Condenser cooling water was drawn from the River Thames.
Electricity operational data for the early years was as follows:
| 1894 | 38 | 2,150 | |
| 1895 | 83 | 4,300 | |
| 1896 | 154 | 8,700 | |
| 1897 | 201 | 12,299 |
In 1898 maximum electricity demand was 216 kW.
The electricity sold and revenue from 1918 to 1920 was as follows:
| 1918 | 6,149 | 3,486 | £34,659 | £13,284 | |
| 1919 | 6,765 | 3,130 | £37,905 | £12,114 | |
| 1920 | 7,002 | 3,566 | £51,004 | £14,365 |
| Units | Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | |||
| Lighting and domestic use | MWh | 1,048 | 1,030 | 1,177 | |
| Public lighting use | MWh | 59 | 61 | 69 | |
| Traction | MWh | – | – | – | |
| Power use | MWh | 2,459 | 2,191 | 2,248 | |
| Total use | MWh | 3,566 | 3,282 | 3,494 | |
| Load and connected load | |||||
| Maximum load | kW | 2,628 | 2,703 | 2,931 | |
| Total connections | kW | 7,602 | 7,923 | 8,482 | |
| Load factor | Per cent | 20.2 | 17.9 | 17.9 | |
| Financial | |||||
| Revenue from sales of current | £ | – | 52,472 | 58,727 | |
| Surplus of revenue over expenses | £ | – | 15,304 | 23,806 | |
| 1922 | 2,005 | 8,160 | 2,939 | 3,493 | £55,962 | £23,988 | |
| 1923 | 2,164 | 8,730 | 3,250 | 1,089 | £60,636 | £25,766 | |
| 1924 | 2,398 | 9,200 | 3,570 | 6,452 | £67,544 | £32,476 | |
| 1925 | 2,688 | 10,430 | 4,270 | 6,601 | £78,000 | £38,000 |
Reading power station operating data in 1946 is given below:[13]
| 1946 | – | 10,645 | 7,510 | – |
Operating data for the period 1954–67 is shown in the table:[15] [16]
| 1954 | 1987 | 11 | 11.417 | 10.82 | |
| 1955 | 1548 | 11 | 7.172 | 9.59 | |
| 1956 | 1401 | 10 | 7.862 | 10.41 | |
| 1957 | 840 | 10 | 4.445 | 8.79 | |
| 1958 | 322 | 10 | 1.621 | 8.98 | |
| 1961 | (1.0 %) | 10 | 0.867 | 7.30 | |
| 1962 | (1.2 %) | 10 | 1.066 | 9.85 | |
| 1963 | (3.96 %) | 10 | 3.470 | 12.11 | |
| 1967 | (5.6 %) | 10 | 4.902 | 11.95 |
Reading power station was decommissioned in the 1960s.[17] The buildings were subsequently demolished and the area has been redeveloped with commercial units.