Opening in 1966, West Burton A was a 2000MW coal-fired power station and operated until 2023
Construction began in 1961 by the Northern Project Group, a department within the CEGB. In a bid to combine efforts at the design and construction stages the Boiler and Turbo-generator plant were replicated at Fiddlers Ferry power station located in Cheshire, in North West England.
The station was the first 2000 MW power station to be constructed in the United Kingdom and provided electricity for around two million people. The four 500 MW single shaft turbo-generator units manufactured by English Electric are arranged lengthwise along the turbine hall.
In June 2000, work began on the fitting of flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) equipment at the station. The work was completed in October 2003, and had a total cost of £100 million. As part of the new FGD retrofit two new chimneys 200 m (660 ft) high were constructed 194 m (636 ft) to the north of the existing chimneys.
In March 2021, EDF confirmed that West Burton A would cease generation on 30 September 2022. However in June 2022, EDF agreed to defer closure of two units at West Burton A power station by a further six months with the closure date revised to 31 March 2023. The station closed as planned on 31 March 2023.
Turbine Hall
Unit 4 viewed from the gantry
Units 3, 2 and 1
View from one of the two gantry cranes
Side view of unit 1
General view of the turbine hall
Unit 4 generator and LP turbines
Unit 4 HP end
Looking a bit further around the turbine hall, we find the HP heaters, boiler feed pumps, etc...
Unit 4 HP Heaters
Unit 1 Starting & Standby Boiler Feed Pumps
Unit 1 main BFPs
Unit 4 Oil Coolers
Boilers and Mills
General view in the boiler house
International Combustion Maker's Plate
Unit 1 ID Fans
Coal Feeders
Overview of the PF Mills
Mills
Mills
Unit 1 Deaerator
Ash Hoppers
Coal Delivery
Paddle Feeders below the Rail Unloader
Rail Unloader Conveyors
Bunker House
Gas Turbines
The gas turbine house was in complete darkness with the exception of a single bulkhead light next to an entry door. Thankfully this provided just enough light to grab a couple of long exposure shots. The GT house has plenty of windows - I didn't fancy trying to locate the switches in fear of the lights being spotted from outside, however they will look nice in natural light at some point in the future when a daytime visit is feasible. It was at least nice to confirm all four generators are still in situ, despite two units being decommissioned some time ago, and their Rolls Royce gas generators removed.Unit 4 viewed from the gantry
Units 3, 2 and 1
View from one of the two gantry cranes
Side view of unit 1
General view of the turbine hall
Unit 4 generator and LP turbines
Unit 4 HP end
Looking a bit further around the turbine hall, we find the HP heaters, boiler feed pumps, etc...
Unit 4 HP Heaters
Unit 1 Starting & Standby Boiler Feed Pumps
Unit 1 main BFPs
Unit 4 Oil Coolers
Boilers and Mills
General view in the boiler house
International Combustion Maker's Plate
Unit 1 ID Fans
Coal Feeders
Overview of the PF Mills
Mills
Mills
Unit 1 Deaerator
Ash Hoppers
Coal Delivery
Paddle Feeders below the Rail Unloader
Rail Unloader Conveyors
Bunker House
Gas Turbines
So there we have it, so far. Despite the duplication of design between this and Fiddler's, I found West Burton to be generally a bit more interesting and the cleanliness and lighting of the station really helped it to be, in my opinion, the more photogenic of the two. Sadly the nice original control room has been replaced with the most bland of any of the ex-CEGB stations, so we don't have that to look forward to, however there's still plenty more to be seen around the site and I'm sure coverage will be added to by others and myself over the coming months.
Visited with @albino-jay and Howlin.
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