ELECTRICITY. EAST LANCS

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ELECTRICITY. EAST LANCS

1800 Volta. discovers the electric cell using copper and zinc electrodes.
1802 Humphry Davy notes the arc light effect between carbon pieces.
c1820 A.M.Ampere establishes the relationship between the strength of a magnetic field and the current produced.
1831 24 November demonstration of electromagnetic induction by Michael Faraday to the Royal Society. He discovers that electricity can be generated by moving a magnet through a coil.
1866 Leclanche cell or dry batters discovered. Principal of the self exciting generator established.
1870's Armature design evolves to allow continuous electricity generation using Steam engines.
1875 From this date the arc light starts being used for illumination in theatres, railway stations, shops etc.. particularly in France.
1878 In November a 12hp Siemen's patent engine was brought for demonstration in
Burnley by Mr.Provis of Manchester. It lit three lights of 8000 candle power
which illuminated the cricket field where a game of football was played under the
lights. Lead acid battery demonstrated and widely adopted during the following
ten years.
1879. Edison and Swan independently invent the incandescent light.
1881 First public supply of electricity in Godalming.
1882 Electric Lighting Act, allows local authorities to compulsorily purchase after 21
years.
1883 Grosvenor Gallery, later the London Electricity Supply Corp., starts supplying
surplus electricity to customers.
1884 Parsons patents the steam turbine, with a turbo generator operating at 18,000rpm working in the same year.
1888 Electric Lighting Act extends period before compulsory purchase possible to 42
years. Parsons installs his first turbo-alternator set at the Forth Banks Power
Station. Operated at 4,800 rpm, capacity 75kW One business already lit by
electricity in Burnley. Hapton streets illuminated by electricity from August.
Joseph F. Simpson, a local man, who was an electrician with Edison & Co. in
Manchester, installed a dynamo in his family’s Perseverance Mills. It was a
modified Kapp machine, driven by a 6hp steam engine which also powered the
taping and sizing machinery. The firm already supplied gas to the village, but extending gas lighting in the streets was considered too expensive. Instead seven 50 candle power electric lights were erected. Three were over the centre of Bridge Street where previous gas lights had only been of 18 candle power. Others were proposed for side streets, the Conservative Club and the mill's warehouse. Swan's incandescent lights, with enamelled iron reflectors, were used and they were lit from dusk to 9:45.
1899 Deptford Power Station opened. Designed by Ferranti, it was the first AC station
with four 10,000hp steam engines driving alternators working at 10,000 volts. There were also two 1,250 hp engines driving 5,000 volt alternators.
1891 Condensing fitted to steam turbine which dramatically improves efficiency .
1893 26 August. Burnley's 200 kW Power station commences public supply. The
official opening was in September, nine months after the 43 kW station in Nelson
opened.
1895 18 February. Blackburn’s Jubilee Street Power Station opens.
1898 Cross Committee recommends the setting up, of private power companies.
1899 Parsons makes the first tandem-cylinder turbines - turbo alternators generating
1,000 kW each - for the German town of Elberfeld.
1900 9 November. Accrington's Power Station opens.
1902 25 September. Colne's Power Station opens.
1905 August- Lancashire Electric Power Company open their Radcliffe Power Station.
1909 Electric Lighting Act allows compulsory purchase of land for power stations.
1916 Transmission line installed between Accrington and Rawtenstall, each of those
power stations providing half of Haslingden's needs. The two concerns work
together, varying the % of the supply as operating conditions at the stations
change,
1919 Electricity (Supply) Act. Commissioners set up for "promoting, regulating and
supervising the supply of electricity." Given no compulsory powers.
1921 October. Blackburn East (Whitebirk) Power Station opens
1924 23 May. Inquiry comes out in favour of L.E.P.'s proposal to build Padiham 'A'. 25 July. Padiham A , formal consent granted for 12,000 kW station to be built by the
Lancashire Electric Power Company. LE.P. Co.'s Chief Engineer and Manager
was C.D.Taite.
1925 Little progress with main transmission lines. In Burnley 2 miles of 33000 volt laid between Burnley and Rose, Grove. Nothing done in Accrington on the Blackburn
to Burnley link but an 11,000 volt line contemplated to the new LEP station at
Padiham. Mar 31, by this date two 6000k-W turbo alternator sets had been ordered
for Padiham The sidings had almost been completed and work had commenced
on the foundations.
1926 Electricity (Supply) Act. Central Electricity Board established to control the
output of the best and most efficient stations and to set up a grid. Frequencies to be
standardised and local authorities supplied from the grid. Encourages companies
to supply rural districts. On Mar 31, at Padiham all the buildings had been roofed.
both turbo alternators had been tested at the works and were being delivered and
erected, the first two boilers were erected and being bricked in, the switchgear
was progressing, the dam across the river completed, the cooling towers would
soon be completed, the coal and ash plant would be finished by June. and
preliminary tests should be underway by July or early August.
1927 24 January. Padiham 'A' was brought into regular use. An 11,000 volt main had
previously been installed to Accrington's Power Station, The 33,000 volt main was
opened between Padiham and Lancashire Electric Power's station at Radcliffe.
March. A further 12,500 kW turbo alternator set sanctioned; it was installed by,
1929. The sets were subsequently rated at 7,500 kW and 15,625 kW.
1929 Burnley to supply Briercliffe, Colne to supply Trawden.
1930 Nelson to supply Earby and Barnoldswick.
1935/6 McGowen Committee sits, but recommendations not implemented until after the war.
1940 Padiham power station supplies part of the following loads. Padiham (7600 kW), Burnley (20,500 kW) and Nelson & Colne (11,800 kW). Two more 12,500 kW turbo alternators proposed to help this supply. 70 million units generated each year at 20% load factor.
1942/3 Two more boilers installed in the 'A' Station.
1946 M.H.Adams appointed Chief Engineer and Manager of L.E.P.
1947 Electricity Act setting up the British Electricity Authority, later called the Central Electricity Authority, under the control of the Minister of Fuel and Power. It takes over Lancashire Electrical Power Company, and was to promote economical
methods of generation, transmission and distribution and to cheapen supplies to
rural areas. They were to standardise the system of supply and electrical fittings.
The Central Authority was divided into eleven divisions, and there were twelve
Area Boards- H.H.Wall appointed Station Manager.
1952 W.Blythe appointed Station Manager when H. H. Wall moves to the newly opened Huncoat Station.
1957 June- 240 MW Padiham B authorised.
1960 Alan Parker appointed Station Manager.
1961 30 December. No. 1 Unit first synchronised.
1962, 4 March. No. 1 Unit officially commissioned. 11 April. No. 1 Unit provisionally available for 120 MW generation. 8 August. Sabotage considered as possible reason for units teething troubles. 14 August. No. 1 Unit re-commissioned and synchronised after modifications. 5 Nov No 2 Unit first synchronised. 22 Nov
No 2 Unit officially commissioned.
1964 December. Site tests for proposed Padiham 'C'.
1965 February. Acceptance tests for both turbo alternators.
1967 December- Second acceptance tests for No. 1 boiler.
1968 W B Harling appointed Station Manager.
1969 February. A Station closes.
1971 August. Second acceptance tests for No. 1 turbo-alternator. Oil firing proposed for No 2
1972 February. Miners strike.
1974 R. S. (Bob) Neish appointed Station Manager. Mar - Dec No. 1 unit converted to fire residual oil.
Price of oil begins so rise.
1980 Padiham wins Regional Good Housekeeping Award. Petrocoke used for the first
time, 16 June. No. 1 Unit declared cold. Seven days notice required for generation.
1982 90 ton weighbridge from Torness installed, 20 April. Visit to station by Burnley's Councillors and Chief Officer. 8 July. Visit to station by Hyndburn's councillors and Chief Officer.
1993 February. Coal Oil Dispersion 5000 ton test.
1984 New transformer installed. October. Total units generated reaches 15 million MW hours. Oct - Nov. Miners strike. No. 2 Unit achieves 100,000 hours run.
1991 9 March. Last time No. 1 Unit on load.
1993 31 March. Last delivery of coal. September, Padiham B ceases generation.

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