Derwent Power Station
Encyclopedia
Derwent Power Station is a 214MWe gas-fired power station on Holme Lane near Spondon
in Derby, England. It is built on the site of the former Spondon Power Station
. It was sold to the Nottingham & Derby Power Company in 1929. It was then nationalised before eventually being sold to Courtaulds
. Spondon A eventually closed in the early 1980s.
In 1959, the Spondon H process steam station opened alongside Spondon A. Spondon H had a capacity of 30 MW using three 10 MW sets, and was unique among the CEGB
s power stations as it was designed primarily to produce steam to supply the British Celanese plant. The station had two single-flue concrete chimneys of c.'315 in height, one being demolished in the early 1990's the other in the early 2000's. The station also had four concrete cooling towers of c.'150 in height located c.0.25 miles to the east, these were in practice rarely used. They were demolished in 1984.
Derwent power station was originally built for Courtaulds Chemicals and was opened on June 1, 1995 by Tim Eggar, the Energy Secretary. It was owned 17.5% by Courtaulds, 33% by Mission Energy Company (UK) Ltd, and 49.5% by Southern Electric Power Generation (now owned by Scottish and Southern Energy). The nearby works are now owned by Accordis. The 33% stake of Mission Energy was sold to International Power
. The other stakes are now owned by Mitsui
. Near to the plant is Celanese Acetates Ltd
, which used to be British Celanese
, which does not have any ownership of the power station. The textiles site was built in 1916 to provide waterproofing for aircraft wings, known as British Cellulose & Chemical Manufacturing and made cellulose acetate
and Acetic anhydride
. This came from techniques invented by the Swiss chemist, Henri Dreyfus. British Celanese and Courtaulds merged in 1957. Courtaulds was bought by Sara Lee in 2000 following a hostile takeover
. The station currently trades as Derwent Cogeneration Ltd.
power station that runs on natural gas
. Most of the power is used for the works next to the power station. Only around 50MWe is put into the National Grid; and the heat produces steam for the textile plant. This produces electricity for around 180,000 homes; enough for Derby and beyond. It has four General Electric
Frame 6 MS6001B gas turbine
and a 59MWe steam turbine
and surface condenser. It is a combined heat and power
(CHP) plant.
Latest information is that this Combined Heat and Power plant (CHP) plant is to stop supplying steam to the adjacent textile plant from 2011, the steam supply is to be provided by a new gas fired CHP plant to be built by the textile firm on land it owns adjacent to the existing Derwent Power Station.ref article in the local press
Spondon
Spondon is a ward within the city of Derby. Prior to this, Spondon was a separate village which dated from before the Domesday Book of 1086.-Description:The name Spondon is Anglo-Saxon and describes a gravelly hill....
in Derby, England. It is built on the site of the former Spondon Power Station
History
The current Derwent power station was built on the site of the former Spondon power stations. Spondon A was built in the 1920s by British CelaneseBritish Celanese
British Celanese was a chemical company based in England. Formed in 1918 it survived as an independent company until 1957 when it became a subsidiary of Courtaulds.-History:...
. It was sold to the Nottingham & Derby Power Company in 1929. It was then nationalised before eventually being sold to Courtaulds
Courtaulds
Courtaulds was a United Kingdom-based manufacturer of fabric, clothing, artificial fibres, and chemicals.-Foundation:The Company was founded by George Courtauld and his cousin Peter Taylor in 1794 as a silk, crepe and textile business at Pebmarsh in north Essex trading as George Courtauld & Co...
. Spondon A eventually closed in the early 1980s.
In 1959, the Spondon H process steam station opened alongside Spondon A. Spondon H had a capacity of 30 MW using three 10 MW sets, and was unique among the CEGB
CEGB
The Central Electricity Generating Board was the cornerstone of the British electricity industry for almost 40 years; from 1957, to privatisation in the 1990s....
s power stations as it was designed primarily to produce steam to supply the British Celanese plant. The station had two single-flue concrete chimneys of c.'315 in height, one being demolished in the early 1990's the other in the early 2000's. The station also had four concrete cooling towers of c.'150 in height located c.0.25 miles to the east, these were in practice rarely used. They were demolished in 1984.
Derwent power station was originally built for Courtaulds Chemicals and was opened on June 1, 1995 by Tim Eggar, the Energy Secretary. It was owned 17.5% by Courtaulds, 33% by Mission Energy Company (UK) Ltd, and 49.5% by Southern Electric Power Generation (now owned by Scottish and Southern Energy). The nearby works are now owned by Accordis. The 33% stake of Mission Energy was sold to International Power
International Power
International Power PLC is an international electricity generator formed in 2000 by the demerger of National Power. It is headquartered at Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria Street in the City of London...
. The other stakes are now owned by Mitsui
Mitsui
is one of the largest corporate conglomerates in Japan and one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world.-History:Founded by Mitsui Takatoshi , who was the fourth son of a shopkeeper in Matsusaka, in what is now today's Mie prefecture...
. Near to the plant is Celanese Acetates Ltd
Celanese
Celanese Corporation is a Fortune 500 global technology and specialty materials company with its headquarters in Dallas, Texas. The company is a leading producer of acetyl products, which are intermediate chemicals for nearly all major industries, and is the world's largest producer of vinyl...
, which used to be British Celanese
British Celanese
British Celanese was a chemical company based in England. Formed in 1918 it survived as an independent company until 1957 when it became a subsidiary of Courtaulds.-History:...
, which does not have any ownership of the power station. The textiles site was built in 1916 to provide waterproofing for aircraft wings, known as British Cellulose & Chemical Manufacturing and made cellulose acetate
Cellulose acetate
Cellulose acetate , first prepared in 1865, is the acetate ester of cellulose. Cellulose acetate is used as a film base in photography, as a component in some adhesives, and as a frame material for eyeglasses; it is also used as a synthetic fiber and in the manufacture of cigarette filters and...
and Acetic anhydride
Acetic anhydride
Acetic anhydride, or ethanoic anhydride, is the chemical compound with the formula 2O. Commonly abbreviated Ac2O, it is the simplest isolatable acid anhydride and is a widely used reagent in organic synthesis...
. This came from techniques invented by the Swiss chemist, Henri Dreyfus. British Celanese and Courtaulds merged in 1957. Courtaulds was bought by Sara Lee in 2000 following a hostile takeover
Takeover
In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company by another . In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to the acquisition of a private company.- Friendly takeovers :Before a bidder makes an offer for another...
. The station currently trades as Derwent Cogeneration Ltd.
Specification
It is a combined cycleCombined cycle
In electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators...
power station that runs on natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
. Most of the power is used for the works next to the power station. Only around 50MWe is put into the National Grid; and the heat produces steam for the textile plant. This produces electricity for around 180,000 homes; enough for Derby and beyond. It has four General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
Frame 6 MS6001B gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
and a 59MWe steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
and surface condenser. It is a combined heat and power
Combined Heat and Power
Combined Heat and Power may refer to:* Cogeneration* Combined Heat and Power Solar...
(CHP) plant.
Latest information is that this Combined Heat and Power plant (CHP) plant is to stop supplying steam to the adjacent textile plant from 2011, the steam supply is to be provided by a new gas fired CHP plant to be built by the textile firm on land it owns adjacent to the existing Derwent Power Station.ref article in the local press