Seal Sands Power Station
Encyclopedia
Seal Sands Power Station (also known as Viking Power Station) is a gas-fired
gas turbine
power station
situated on the River Tees
at Seal Sands
near Billingham
, in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees
, which is part of County Durham
, North East England
.
and Kværner Construction
, costing £25 million to construct. When it opened in the spring of 1999, it used the first Rolls-Royce Trent
engine to be put into industrial service. The station uses a single 50 megawatt gas turbine
, which is fueled by natural gas
. Northern Electric
originally supplied the gas for the station, as well as distributing the electricity generated. The plant has a 40% efficiency at 15°C. As of September 2004, PX Limited have maintained the station, while Viking Power own the station.
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...
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....
power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
situated on the River Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
at Seal Sands
Seal Sands
Seal Sands is a 294.37 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Cleveland, England, notified in 1966.Situated in the mouth of the River Tees next to Greatham Creek and Seaton-on-Tees Channel, and accessible from the A178 road running between Seaton Carew and Port Clarence.- Source...
near Billingham
Billingham
Billingham is a town in the unitary authority of Stockton on Tees, in north east England, with a population of 35,765 . It was founded circa 650 by a group of Saxons known as Billa's people, which is where the name Billingham is thought to have originated...
, in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees (borough)
Stockton-on-Tees is a unitary authority area and borough in the Tees Valley area of north east England, with a population in 2001 of 178,408, rising to 185,880 in 2005 estimates....
, which is part of County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
.
Operations
Construction of the plant began in 1997, it was built as a collaboration between National PowerNational Power
- History :National Power was formed following the privatisation of the UK electricity market in 1990. In England and Wales the Central Electricity Generating Board, which was responsible for the generation and transmission of electricity was split into three generating companies Powergen, National...
and Kværner Construction
Kværner
Kværner was a Norway-based engineering and construction services company in existence between 1853 and 2005 when it was merged with Aker ASA. The Kværner name was used in the subsidiary Aker Kværner until April 3, 2008 when it changed name to Aker Solutions. Kværner re-emerged on 6...
, costing £25 million to construct. When it opened in the spring of 1999, it used the first Rolls-Royce Trent
Rolls-Royce Trent
Rolls-Royce Trent is the name given to a family of high bypass turbofan aircraft engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc. All are developments of the RB211 with thrust ratings of . Versions of the Trent are in service on the Airbus A330, A340, A380, Boeing 777, and 787, and variants are in...
engine to be put into industrial service. The station uses a single 50 megawatt 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....
, which is fueled by 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...
. Northern Electric
Northern Electric
Northern Electric was an electricity supply and distribution company serving north east England.-History:It had its origins as the North Eastern Electricity Board, formed as part of the nationalisation of the electricity industry by the Electricity Act 1947....
originally supplied the gas for the station, as well as distributing the electricity generated. The plant has a 40% efficiency at 15°C. As of September 2004, PX Limited have maintained the station, while Viking Power own the station.