Littlebrook Power Station
Littlebrook Power Station
Four power stations were built in succession on a site on the south bank of the River Thames, in Dartford, Kent. They were variously coal- and oil-fired
1939 Littlebrook 'A' was commissioned for the Kent Electric Power Co. There were three Babcock and Wilcox chain grate-fed and three International Combustion pulverised fuel boilers. Initially it was fuelled with coal but the station was later converted to burn supplementary oil over coal, and remained in use until it closed in 1973. Two 3000 rpm 30 MW turbine-alternators were supplied by C. A. Parsons and Co, and one 1500 rpm 60 MW turbine-alternator by BTH.
1949/50. Littlebook 'B' originally burned coal, but was later converted to burn oil instead. Four International Combustion boilers supplied steam at 1,285 psi and 454°C to four 60 MW Metropolitan-Vickers turbine-alternators. The 'B' station remained in use until 1975.
1952-6 Littlebrook 'C' was opened between 1952 and 1956 by the British Electricity Authority. It had a total generating capacity of 240 MW from four 60 MW C. A. Parsons and Co turbine-alternators. Like the two earlier plants, it was originally coal-fired, but was converted to burn fuel oil by 1958. The station continued operating until it was replaced by the 'D' Station in 1981.
Each of these stations was built as a virtual extension of its predecessors although segregated internally.
1981 Littlebrook 'D' was an oil-fired power station, built by the Central Electricity Generating Board. The station was constructed by the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co; construction began in 1976. The station was built with three GEC turbine-generators each having a design rating of 660 MW in the initial design but subsequently uprated.
The final station, Littlebrook 'D', ceased operating in March 2015.
See Also
Sources of Information
- Wikipedia