Thorpe Marsh Power Station was a 1 GW coal-fired power station near Barnby Dun in South Yorkshire, England. The station was commissioned in 1963 and closed in 1994.[2] In 2011, permission was given for the construction of a gas-fired power station on the site.
History
Construction and operation, (1959–1994)
Construction of the station began in 1959;[3] it was built as a prototype for all the large modern power stations in the UK. It was commissioned between 1963 and 1965.[4] Thorpe Marsh was one of the CEGB's twenty steam power stations with the highest thermal efficiency; in 1963–4 the thermal efficiency was 31.50 per cent, 32.76 per cent in 1964–5, and 33.09 per cent in 1965–6.[5]
There were 2 × 28 MW auxiliary gas turbines on the site, these had been commissioned in December 1966.[6]
The station contained two 550 MW generating units with cross compound turbines, supplied from a single boiler. Steam was supplied at 16,000 kPa (2,300 psi) at 566 °C (1,050 °F).[8]
The annual electricity output of Thorpe Marsh was:[5]
Electricity output of Thorpe Marsh
Year
1963–4
1964–5
1965–6
1966–7
1971–2
1978–9
1981–2
Electricity supplied, GWh
581
1,697
1,803
2,804
3,660
3,750
4,296
On 7 January 1973, four workmen died. A coroner's report gave a verdict of accidental death; subsequently the Factory Inspectorate began legal proceedings against the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) for breaches in safety provisions.[9]
The 45 ha (110 acres) site was acquired by Able UK in 1995.[11]
During the 2007 United Kingdom floods, the 400 kV substation at the site was temporarily shut down on 27 June, whilst the 275 kV substation was not affected; operational service was fully restored by early 28 June.[12]
In October 2011, the Department of Energy and Climate Change approved the construction of a 1,500 MW combined cycle gas turbine power station at Thorpe Marsh by Thorpe Marsh Power Limited (parent Acorn Power Developments, see Acorn Energy) with an estimated cost of £984 million.[13][14][15] Thorpe Marsh Power Limited proposed an initial capacity of 960 MW.[15] The proposed development would also require the construction of an 18 km (11 mi) gas pipeline from Camblesforth;[16] Thorpe Marsh Power Limited is expected to submit an application for the gas pipeline in late 2014.[16]
Able UK demolished the original power station's cooling towers in 2012.[17]
In 2022 plans were unveiled to build a 1.4 GW Battery Energy Storage System on the site, named the "Thorpe Marsh Energy Park".[18] Local news sources have highlighted the project's potential in repurposing the old power station's infrastructure.[19]
^Flooding: Fifth Report of Session 2007–08. Vol. 2: Oral and Written Evidence. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee. 7 May 2008. Ev 309–310, §20–33, "Memorandum Submitted by National Grid (FL 80). ISBN978-0-215-51488-2.
"Thorpe Marsh Power Station". Urban Exploration in Doncaster, Yorkshire. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Images of derelict power station c. 2006.
