| Ramsgate power station | |
| Country: | England |
| Location: | Ramsgate Kent |
| Status: | Decommissioned and demolished |
| Construction Began: | 1904 |
| Commissioned: | 1905 |
| Decommissioned: | 1 April 1958 |
| Owner: | Ramsgate and District Electric Supply Company, Edmundsons Electricity Corporation Limited (1904–1937) County of London Electric Supply Company (1937–1948) British Electricity Authority (1948–1955) Central Electricity Authority (1955–1957) Central Electricity Generating Board (1958) |
| Operator: | The Ramsgate and District Electric Supply Company Limited (1901–1948) British Electricity Authority (1948–1955) Central Electricity Authority (1955–1957) Central Electricity Generating Board (1958) |
| Th Fuel Primary: | Coal |
| Th Technology: | Steam engines |
| Ps Units Operational: | 90, 200 & 300 kW (1946) |
| Ps Electrical Capacity: | 2 MW |
| Ps Annual Generation: | 1,660 MWh (1946) |
Ramsgate power station supplied electricity to the town of Ramsgate, Kent, England and the surrounding area from 1905 to 1958. The station was operated by the Ramsgate and District Electric Supply Company Limited until the nationalisation of the British electricity supply industry in 1948. The coal-fired power station had a maximum electricity generating capacity of 2 MW.
The Ramsgate and District Electric Supply Company Limited (incorporated in 1903) applied for a provisional order under the Electric Lighting Acts to generate and supply electricity to the town and local area. This was granted by the Board of Trade and was confirmed by Parliament through the Electric Lighting Orders Confirmation (No.3) Act 1904 (4 Edw. 7 c. clxxvi).[1] The company built the Ramsgate power station (51°20'31"N 01°24'34"E)[2] in Prince's Road, Ramsgate. This was adjacent to the corporation refuse destructor.
New plant was installed and the output of the power station was uprated to meet the increased demand for electricity.[3]
In 1937 the County of London Electric Supply Company purchased the Ramsgate and District Electric Supply Company from Edmundsons Electricity Corporation Limited. The Ramsgate Company's capital was £150,000.[4]
The British electricity supply industry was nationalised in 1948 under the provisions of the Electricity Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6 c. 54).[5] The Ramsgate electricity undertaking was abolished, ownership of the power station was vested in the British Electricity Authority, and subsequently the Central Electricity Authority and the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).[6] At the same time the electricity distribution and sales responsibilities of the Ramsgate electricity undertaking were transferred to the South Eastern Electricity Board (SEEBOARD).
Ramsgate power station was closed and decommissioned on 1 April 1958 by the CEGB and was subsequently demolished.[7] The site is occupied by an electricity sub-station.
By 1923 the generating plant comprised:
These machines gave a total generating capacity of 590 kW DC.
Electricity supplies available to consumers were at 480 and 240 Volts DC.
The electricity supply data for the period 1921–23 was:
| Units | Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | |||
| Lighting and domestic | MWh | 410 | 474 | 555 | |
| Public lighting | MWh | – | – | – | |
| Traction | MWh | – | – | – | |
| Power | MWh | 143 | 151 | 178 | |
| Bulk supply | MWh | – | – | – | |
| Total use | MWh | 553 | 625 | 733 | |
| Year | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum load | kW | 457 | 510 | 638 | |
| Total connections | kW | 1,951 | 2,067 | 2,261 | |
| Load factor | Percent | 20.5 | 19.5 | 17.8 | |
In 1946 Ramsgate power station supplied 1,659 MWh of electricity; the maximum output load was 2,148 kW.[8]
Operating data for the period 1954–58 was:
| 1954 | 1196 | 2 | 954 | 7.40 | |
| 1955 | 674 | 2 | 757 | 7.25 | |
| 1956 | 391 | 2 | 371 | 6.06 | |
| 1957 | 629 | 2 | 618 | 7.16 | |
| 1958 | 420 | – | 309 | 6.56 |