Central Electricity Generating Board
Powergen (1991) | |
Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
---|---|
Area served | England and Wales |
Products | Electricity generation, transmission and bulk sales |
Revenue | 0.4264 p/kWh sold (1957–1958), 3.0371 p/kWh sold (1981–1982) |
£340.3 million (1957–1958), £6,363.6 million (1981–1982) | |
Net earnings £48.3 million (1957–1958), £295.7 million (1981–1982) | |
Number of employees | 65,410 (1972), 55,487 (1982) |
The Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) was responsible for electricity generation, transmission and bulk sales in
It was established on 1 January 1958 to assume the functions of the
Responsibilities
The CEGB was responsible for electricity generation, transmission and bulk sales in England and Wales, whilst in Scotland electricity generation was carried out by the South of Scotland Electricity Board and the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board.
The CEGB's duty was to develop and maintain an efficient, coordinated and economical system of supply of electricity in bulk for England and Wales, and for that purpose to generate or acquire supplies of electricity and to provide bulk supplies of electricity for the
The organisation was unusual in that most of its senior staff were professional engineers, supported in financial and risk-management areas.[2]
Corporate structure
Background
In 1954, six years after nationalisation, the Government appointed the Herbert Committee to examine the efficiency and organisation of the electricity industry. The committee found that the British Electricity Authority's dual roles of electricity generation and supervision had led to central concentration of responsibility and to duplication between headquarters and divisional staff which led to delays in the commissioning of new stations. The Committee's recommendations were enacted by the Electricity Act 1957 which established the Electricity Council to oversee the industry and the CEGB with responsibility for generation and transmission.[3]
Constitution
The CEGB was established by section 2 of the Electricity Act 1957.
There were six chairmen of the CEGB:
- Christopher Hinton, Baron Hinton of Bankside, served from 1957 to 1964,
- Sir Stanley Brownserved from 1965 to 1972,
- Sir Arthur Hawkinsfrom 1972 to 1977,
- Glyn England from 1977 to 1982,
- Walter Marshall, Baron Marshall of Goring from 1982 to 1989,
- Gil Blackman was appointed chairman in January 1989 until 1990.[5]
The executive comprised the chairman and the full-time board members. The Headquarters Operations Department provided a service to the board and executive and could supply specialist staff.[2]
The chairman and two other members of the board plus the chairmen of the area boards were members of the Electricity Council.[2]
Organisation
The design, construction and development functions associated with power stations and transmission was undertaken by two divisions: the Generation Development and Construction Division based in Cheltenham and then Barnwood Gloucester, and the Transmission Development and Construction Division based in Guildford.[2] In 1979 the Transmission Division had been restructured as the Transmission and Technical Services Division based in Guildford, and a Technology Planning and Research Division based in London, the latter was formed from the Research Division System Technical and Generation Studies Branches.[6][7]
A Corporate Strategy Department was formed in 1981 from some of the Planning Department. A Nuclear Operations Support Group was also formed in 1981 to provide expert support.[7]
The sculpture "Power in Trust" from the CEGB logo was made by Norman Sillman to represent a hand made from boiler pipes and a turbine, it was commissioned in the 1961 for the opening of Staythorpe B Power Station.[8]
When first constituted the CEGB's London headquarters was at the former Central Electricity Authority's building in Winsley Street W1, there were also offices in Buchanan House, 24/30 Holborn, London, EC1.[9]
Employees
There were a total of 131,178 employees in the electricity supply industry 1989, composed as follows:[10]
Electricity Council | CEGB | Area boards | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Managerial | 122 | 780 | 535 | 1,437 |
Technical and scientific | 444 | 13,098 | 8,473 | 22,015 |
Administrative and Sales | 566 | 7,142 | 30,146 | 37,854 |
Industrial | 125 | 26,611 | 41,142 | 67,878 |
Trainees and apprentices | 0 | In Industrial | 1,985 | 1,985 |
Total | 1,257 | 47,631 | 82,291 | 131,178 |
Infrastructure
The CEGB spent more on industrial construction than any other organisation in the UK. In 1958 about 40 power stations were being planned or constructed at a capital cost of £800 million.[3]
Power stations
Those public supply power stations that were in operation at any time between 1958 and 1990 were owned and operated by the CEGB. In 1971–1972 there were 183 power stations on 156 sites, with an installed capacity of 58,880.051 MW, and supplied 190,525 GWh.[2] By 1981–1982 there were 108 power stations with a capacity of 55,185 MW and supplied 210,289 GWh.[6]
- Lists of power stations in the United Kingdom
- List of power stations in England
- List of power stations in Wales
- Nuclear power in the United Kingdom
National Grid
At its inception the CEGB operated 2,763 circuit km of high-tension 275 kV supergrid. The growth of the high voltage National Grid over the lifetime of the CEGB is demonstrated in the following table.[3]
Year | 1958 | 1963 | 1968 | 1973 | 1978 | 1983 | 1988 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
275 kV, km | 2,763 | 5,923 | 5,403 | 4,471 | 4,442 | 4,303 | 4,069 |
400 kV, km | 0 | 85 | 4,927 | 7,905 | 9,319 | 9,531 | 9,822 |
Substations
In 1981–2 there was a total of 203 substations operating at 275/400 kV, these sub-stations included 570 transformers operating at 275/400 kV.[6]
Operations
Control of generation and the National Grid
At the centre of operations was the National Control Centre of the
In 1981 the three-tier corporate transmission structure: National Control, area control rooms in the regions, and district control rooms (areas) was changed to a two-tier structure by merging the area and district control rooms.[7]
Electricity supplies and sales
The electricity generated, supplied and sold by the CEGB, in GWh, was as follows:[10]
Numbers in GWh | Year | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1958/9 | 1963/4 | 1968/9 | 1973/4 | 1978/9 | 1983/4 | 1988/9 | |
Electricity generated | 91,753 | 141,655 | 187,064 | 217,542 | 238,148 | 229,379 | 250,699 |
Electricity supplied | 86,233 | 132,091 | 173,418 | 201,763 | 222,091 | 212,728 | 231,909 |
Imports | 500 | 2,016 | 2,991 | 3,521 | 3,253 | 5,214 | 16,416 |
Exports | 598 | 1,054 | 2,046 | 551 | 736 | 176 | 3 |
Total supplies on system | 86,135 | 133,053 | 174,363 | 204,733 | 224,608 | 217,766 | 248,322 |
Used in transmission | 2,174 | 3,719 | 5,216 | 4,103 | 4,961 | 5,200 | 5,619 |
Sales to direct customers | 3,025 | 1,890 | 3,005 | 4,937 | 5,668 | 3,944 | 4,260 |
Sales to area boards | 80,936 | 127,444 | 166,142 | 195,688 | 213,979 | 208,623 | 238,443 |
Generated by area boards | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 42 | 106 |
Purchases by area boards from private sources | 381 | 138 | 210 | 334 | 374 | 571 | 2,010 |
Used in distribution | 6,245 | 7,950 | 9,093 | 11,410 | 14,778 | 13,666 | 14,338 |
Sales by area boards | 75,073 | 119,634 | 157,264 | 184,618 | 199,581 | 195,570 | 226,221 |
Note: imports are bulk supplies from the South of Scotland and France and from private sources, exports are bulk supplies to the South of Scotland and France.
Financial statistics
A summary of the income and expenditure of the CEGB (in £ million) is as follows:[10][11]
Numbers in £ million | Year | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1958/9 | 1963/4 | 1968/9 | 1973/4 | 1978/9 | 1983/4 | 1988/9 | |
Income from electricity sales | 505.8 | 821.5 | 1,278.4 | 1,783.5 | 5,093.0 | 9,026.3 | 11,467.8 |
Other income | 14.1 | 20.3 | 25.4 | 22.8 | 30.4 | 535.7 | 906.0 |
Total income | 519.9 | 841.8 | 1,303.8 | 1,806.3 | 5,123.4 | 9,562.0 | 12,373.8 |
Expenditure | 429.6 | 657.5 | 980.8 | 1,652.9 | 4,448.2 | ||
Operating Profit | 90.3 | 184.3 | 323.8 | 153.4 | 675.2 | 917.7 | 777.2 |
Interest | 62.5 | 113.9 | 222.4 | 339.0 | 423.8 | 450.3 | 159.3 |
Profit after interest | 27.3 | 70.4 | 100.6 | -185.6 | 251.4 | 464.1 | 607.2 |
Revenue account expenditure | |||||||
Fuel | 284.1 | 384.7 | 707.7 | 2,379.4 | 4,008.4 | 4,268.5 | |
Salaries | 143.3 | 200.9 | 313.4 | 750.1 | 1,454.4 | 1,992.0 | |
Depreciation | 138.3 | 250.9 | 328.0 | 582.2 | 1,295.1 | 1,765.0 | |
Interest | 113.9 | 22.4 | 339.0 | 423.8 | 450.3 | 159.3 | |
Rates | 24.1 | 38.1 | 64.2 | 167.5 | 322.5 | 496.0 | |
Other costs | 67.7 | 106.2 | 246.6 | 568.9 | 1,563.9 | 2,715.0 | |
Total costs | 71.4 | 1,203.2 | 1,991.9 | 4,871.9 | 9,097.9 | 11,766.6 | |
Capital expenditure | |||||||
Generation | 142.3 | 229.9 | 207.6 | 222.2 | 433.4 | 766.1 | 431.8 |
Main transmission | 30.8 | 77.1 | 118.0 | 33.7 | 61.6 | 150.9 | 76.2 |
Other | 0.9 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 10.8 | 19.4 | 21.8 | 96.6 |
Total CEGB | 174.0 | 310.1 | 329.8 | 266.7 | 514.4 | 938.8 | 604.6 |
Area boards | 83.4 | 159.1 | 139.1 | 140.9 | 198.1 | 393.5 | 854.5 |
Total capital expenditure | 257.4 | 469.5 | 469.3 | 408.2 | 714.7 | 1,605.2 | 1,471.8 |
Regions
Detailed control of operational matters such planning, electricity generation, transmission and maintenance were delegated to five geographical regions. From January 1971 each region had a director-general, a director of generation, a director of operational planning, a director of transmission, a financial controller, a controller of scientific services and a personnel manager.[2]
Midlands Region
Regional headquarters: Haslucks Green Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands.
The Midlands Region was responsible for the operation of 38 power stations, over 170 sub-stations and nearly 2,000 miles of grid transmission line in an area that covered 11,000 square miles. The region produced more than a quarter of the electricity used in England and Wales and had a major share of the industrial construction programme mounted by the CEGB during the 1960s.
In 1948 the total generating capacity of all the power stations in the region was 2,016 MW only a little more than a modern 2,000 MW station. By 1957 the region's capacity was up to 4,000 MW, doubling to 8,000 MW by 1966 and rising to 14,000 MW in 1969 and 16,000 MW by 1971.
Previous chairmen of the Midlands Region were Arthur Hawkins, Gilbert Blackman, and R. L. Batley.[12][13]
Prior to 1968 the Midlands Region was divided into the West Midlands Division and the East Midlands Division. The number of power stations, installed capacity and electricity supplied in the Midlands Region was:[2][6]
Year | No. of power stations | No. of sites | Installed capacity of generators, MW | Electricity supplied, GWh |
---|---|---|---|---|
1971–1972 | 36 | 26 | 16,256.0 | 54,509.849 |
1980–1981 | 26 | 19 | 15,619.0 | 70,586.354 |
1981–1982 | 22 | 17 | 14,655.5 | 71,455.615 |
North Eastern Region
Regional Headquarters: Merrion Centre, Leeds (1971). Beckwith Knowle, Otley Road, Harrogate.
Extending through
A previous chairman of the North Eastern Region was P.J. Squire.[13]
Prior to 1968 the North Eastern Region was divided into the Northern Division and the Yorkshire Division.The number of power stations, installed capacity and electricity supplied in the North Eastern Region was:[2][6]
Year | No. of power stations | No. of sites | Installed capacity of generators, MW | Electricity supplied, GWh |
---|---|---|---|---|
1971–1972 | 30 | 26 | 11,568.5 | 41,380.793 |
1981–1982 | 18 | 15 | 11,702.0 | 50,020.604 |
North Western Region
Regional Headquarters: 825 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 (1971). Europa House, Bird Hall Lane, Cheadle Heath, Stockport.
Previous chairman of the North Western Region were J.L. Ashworth and G.B. Jackson.[13]
The number of power stations, installed capacity and electricity supplied in the North Western Region was:[2][6]
Year | No. of power stations | No. of sites | Installed capacity of generators, MW | Electricity supplied, GWh |
---|---|---|---|---|
1971–1972 | 37 | 36 | 7,248.662 | 19,859.890 |
1981–1982 | 19 | 19 | 6,532.225 | 26,007.229 |
South Eastern Region
Regional Headquarters: Bankside House, Summer Street, London.
Past chairman of the South Eastern Region were G.N. Stone, H.J. Bennett and F.W. Skelcher.[14][13]
Prior to 1968 the South Eastern Region was divided into the North Thames Division and the South Thames Division. The number of power stations, installed capacity and electricity supplied in the South Eastern Region was:[2][6]
Year | No. of power stations | No. of sites | Installed capacity of generators, MW | Electricity supplied, GWh |
---|---|---|---|---|
1963–1964 | 73 | 59 | 9,957.171 | 30,355.353 |
1971–1972 | 46 | 37 | 13,114.804 | 42,005.335 |
1980–1981 | 35 | 33 | 12,556.904 | 22,764.492 |
1981–1982 | 28 | 28 | 12,758.404 | 23,637.504 |
1983–1984 | 20 | 20 | 10,628. | 26,519.474 |
South Western Region
Regional Headquarters: 15–23 Oakfield Grove, Clifton, Bristol (1971). Bedminster Down, Bridgwater Road, Bristol.
Previous chairman of the South Western Region were Douglas Pask, Roy Beatt, A.C. Thirtle and R.H. Coates.[14]
Prior to 1968 the South Western Region was divided into the Southern Division, the Western Division and the South Wales Division. The number of power stations, installed capacity and electricity supplied in the South Western Region was:[2][6]
Year | No. of power stations | No. of sites | Installed capacity of generators, MW | Electricity supplied, GWh |
---|---|---|---|---|
1971–1972 | 34 | 31 | 10,692.085 | 32,769.175 |
1980–1981 | 22 | 20 | 13,423.450 | 40,925.009 |
1981–1982 | 21 | 19 | 12,988.950 | 39,167.919 |
1983–1984 | 18 | 16 | 10,839 | 38,956.301 |
Supplies to area boards
The supplies of electricity from the CEGB Regions to the area electricity boards in 1971–2 and 1981–2 were as follows.[6][2] The average charge in 1971–2 was 0.6519 pence/kWh, in 1981–2 the charge was 3.0615 pence/kWh.
Area board | Electricity sold 1971–1972, GWh | Electricity sold 1981–1982, GWh |
---|---|---|
London | 14,472 | 16,173 |
South Eastern
|
12,586 | 14,730 |
Southern | 17,744 | 21,073 |
South Western | 9,030 | 10,817 |
Eastern | 20,469 | 23,661 |
East Midlands | 16,439 | 18,596 |
Midlands | 19,587 | 20,209 |
South Wales | 9,638 | 10,470 |
Merseyside and North Wales
|
13,672 | 14,783 |
Yorkshire | 19,640 | 21,420 |
North Eastern | 11,296 | 13,272 |
North Western
|
18,614 | 18,988 |
Total | 183,187 | 204,192 |
During the lifetime of the CEGB peak demand had more than doubled from 19,311 MW in 1958 to 47,925 MW in 1987. Sales of electricity had increased from 79.7 TWh in 1958 to 240 TWh in 1988.[3]
Research and development
The CEGB had an extensive R&D section with its three principal laboratories at Leatherhead (Central Electricity Research Laboratories, CERL) (opened by the Minister of Power in May 1962),[7] Marchwood Engineering Laboratory (MEL), and Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories (BNL). There were also five regional facilities and four project groups, North, South, Midlands and the Transmission Project Group. These scientific service departments (SSD) had a base in each region. A major SSD role was solving engineering problems with the several designs of 500 MW units. These were a significant increase in unit size and had many teething problems, most of which were solved to result in reliable service and gave good experience towards the design of the 660 MW units.
In the 1970s and 1980s, for the real-time control of power stations the R&D team developed the Cutlass programming language and application system. After privatisation, CUTLASS systems in National Power were phased out and replaced largely with
APMS itself has since become obsolete. However, Eggborough was the last station, particularly unit 2; fully operated using APMS until its decommissioning in 2017.In contrast,
Policies and strategies
The CEGB was subject to examination from external bodies and formed policies and strategies to meet its responsibilities.
External
A 1978 government white paper Re-organisation of the Electricity Supply in England and Wales proposed the creation of an Electricity Corporation to unify the fragmented structure of the industry. Parliamentary constraints prevented its enactment.[7]
A report by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, Central Electricity Generating Board: a Report on the Operation by the Board of its system for the generation and supply of Electricity in bulk was published in 1981. The report found that the CEGB's operations were efficient but that their investment appraisal operated against the public interest.[7]
Internal
In 1964 the CEGB chose the
In 1976 the CEGB introduced an accelerated power station closure programme. On 25 October 23 power stations were closed and 18 partly closed, with a combined capacity of 2,884 MW. Six further stations with a capacity of 649 MW were closed in March 1977.[7][17]
In 1979 the CEGB and the National Coal Board entered a joint understanding that the CEGB would endeavour to take 75 million tonnes of coal per year to 1985 provided the pithead price did not increase above the rate of inflation.[7]
In 1981 the CEGB applied for planning consent to build a 1,200 MW pressurized water reactor at Sizewell. There was a lengthy public inquiry.[7]
In 1981 the CEGB introduced another accelerated power station closure programme. On 26 October 16 power stations were closed with a combined capacity of 3,402 MW. A further 1,320 MW of capacity was maintained unmanned in reserve.[7][17]
Privatisation
The
The shares in National Grid were distributed to the
In 1995, the government sold its 40% stakes, and the assets of Nuclear Electric and
Although electricity privatisation began in 1990, the CEGB continued to exist until the Central Electricity Generating Board (Dissolution) Order 2001, a statutory instrument, came into force on 9 November 2001.[23]
Powergen is now
Arms
|
Publications
- Nuclear Know-How! – with an element of truth. Published by the Central Electricity Generating Board Publicity Services – South East, Bankside House, Sumner Street, London SE1 9JU (n.d. but published c. 1980s–1990s). 20 pages.
- Central Electricity Generating Board, Annual Report and Accounts (published annually).
- Central Electricity Generating Board, Statistical Yearbook (published annually).
- H.R. Johnson et al., The Mechanism of Corrosion by Fuel Impurities (Central Electricity Generating Board; Marchwood Engineering Laboratories, 1963).
- Central Electricity Research Laboratories, Symposium on chimney plume rise and dispersion, Atmospheric Environment (1967) 1, 351–440.
- Central Electricity Generating Board, Modern Power Station Practice, 5 volumes (Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1971).
- Central Electricity Generating Board, How Electricity Is Made and Transmitted (CEGB, London, 1972).
- Central Electricity Generating Board, Submission to the Commission on Energy and the Environment (CEGB, London 1981).
- Central Electricity Generating Board, Acid Rain (London, CEGB, 1984).
- Central Electricity Generating Board, Achievements in technology, planning and research (CEGB, London, 1985).
- Central Electricity Generating Board, Advances in Power Station Construction (Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1986).
- Central Electricity Generating Board, European Year of the Environment: the CEGB Achievements (CEGB, London, 1986).
- Central Electricity Generating Board, Drax Power Station, Proposed Flue Gas Desulphurisation Plant (London, CEGB, 1988).
See also
- Timeline of the UK electricity supply industry
- Energy policy of the United Kingdom
- Energy in the United Kingdom
References
- ^ The CEGB Story Archived 9 December 2012 at archive.today by Rob Cochrane (with additional research by Maryanna Schaefer) (1990)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l CEGB (1972). CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1972. London: CEGB. pp. 2–3, 31.
- ^ ISBN 0198546734.
- ^ "Electricity Act 1957". www.legislation.gov.uk.
- ^ Cochrane, Robert (30 March 1990). "The CEGB Story" (PDF): 34. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ ISBN 0902543695.
- ^ ISBN 085188105X.
- ^ "RWE npower – who we are" (PDF). npower. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ Trade Directory Greater London (1959)
- ^ ISBN 085188122X.
- ISBN 0851880762.
- ^ Gilbert, Blackman. "The London Gazette" (PDF). The Gazette. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ a b c d CEGB Publicity Brochure dated March 1964 and January 1967
- ^ ISBN 978-1351394291. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ Farewell to CUTLASS Archived 5 May 2013 at archive.today
- ^ http://esolangs.org/wiki/CUTLASS CUTLASS on Esolangs.org
- ^ a b "Coal-fired Power Station Closures". Hansard. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ Page 68 "Lessons from Liberalised Electricity Markets" IEA / OECD (2005)
- ^ "Funding Universe – History of BNFL". Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ "International Power PLC History". Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ "EDF agrees to pay $23 billion for British Energy". The New York Times. 24 September 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ "The sale of the Government's interest in British Energy". Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ The Central Electricity Generating Board (Dissolution) Order 2001 full text
- ^ "Central Electricity Generating Board". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
External links
- Media related to Central Electricity Generating Board at Wikimedia Commons