Tilbury A Station (1956-1981)
There has been an operational power station at Tilbury for well over 56 Years. Tilbury A consisted of six generating units, producing a total of 360 Megawatts of electricity on fossil fuel and co-firing oil for the National Grid.
In 1981 Tilbury A stopped operating and its station boilers and turbines hall and chimneys were demolished in 1999. Some of the power station still exists today as a listed building.
Tilbury B Station (1967-2013)
Tilbury B station had a total generating capacity of more than 1,400 Megawatts of electricity, operating on fossil fuel (or coal) and co-firing Oil.
In 2011. it became a biofuel burning (Biomass, meaning wood Pellets). In July 2013, N Power announced they were halting the Biomass programe due to difficulty in financing the plant –http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/investor-news/renewable-energy-news/by-technology/biofuel-biomass/rwe-will-close-1-yr-old-uk-biomass-plant-units-today.html
Recently (this month, August 2013) it was announced in the local newspaper that it is not operational and not producing electricity –
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Re the comment on Tilbury A, it is the warped perspective of the camera that gives that impression of it being front on to the river … it is seen from the east.. perspective is squished ( I am an artist)!
I’m sorry to disagree with John Smith but the photo labelled Tilbury A from the river is definitely not Tilbury A. I worked there as an Instrument Engineer from 1972 to 1974 and the chimney stacks and precipitators were not located on the side of the station facing the river.
I remember Tilbury A being built; I worked there for 12 months during its construction and commissioning! Although ‘worked’ may be a bit subjective as I was a Graduate Trainee with the CEGB. So many things stick in my mind. The contractors canteen lunches; ‘built’ for stamina and just what a 21year old needed. The long cycle ride across the marshes to get there, always(?) foggy and having to dodge the stray animals in the road. It was said that some old local families claimed the power station had been built on common land and they had ancient grazing rights, so they refused to fence their animals in. Then there was the plant attendant who looked after the river water filters and collected the trapped eels, all covered in sewage and other debris, which he sold!!!! And the river; it seemed to be alive with ships of all shapes and sizes in those pre-container days.
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