Inverkip Power Station
| Inverkip power station | |
|---|---|
Inverkip power station
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| Country | Scotland |
| Location | Inverclyde |
| Coordinates | 55°53′57″N 4°53′13″W / 55.899295°N 4.886956°WCoordinates: 55°53′57″N 4°53′13″W / 55.899295°N 4.886956°W |
| Status | Demolished |
| Construction began | 1970 |
| Commission date | 1976 |
| Decommission date | 1988 |
| Owner(s) | ScottishPower |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Oil |
| Power generation | |
| Make and model | Parsons |
| Units decommissioned | 3 x 676MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 2028MW |
Inverkip power station was an oil-fired power station in Inverclyde, on the west coast of Scotland. It was closer to Wemyss Bay than Inverkip, and dominated the local area with its 778 ft (237 m) chimney, the third tallest chimney in the UK and Scotland's tallest free-standing structure. In common with other power stations in Scotland it lacked cooling towers; instead, sea water was used as a coolant. The station consisted of three generating units with a combined total rating of 2028 megawatts (MW).
Construction began in 1970 for the then South of Scotland Electricity Board (SSEB). It was to be Scotland's first oil-fired power station. The soaring price of oil as a result of the 1973 oil crisis meant that by the time construction was completed generation was uneconomical. It was never utilised commercially, with 1200 MW kept in reserve and the remaining capacity being used to satisfy peak demand. It was only used at peak capacity during the miners' strike of 1984-85, when low coal supplies prompted operation. Generation ceased in January 1988 and although the plant was retained as a strategic reserve, it was never used as such. The plant was finally mothballed in the late 1990s, but was kept fully operational until 2006 when it was decommissioned.
The power station's equipment was kept intact and continually operating dehumidifiers were used to keep it in good condition while the facility was unused.
In construction, provision was made on site for a fourth generating unit (to the north of the existing units), including a fourth stack inside the chimney, but the fourth generating unit was cancelled before construction commenced. One design feature of the power station is the lack of steam driven boiler feed pumps, with units 1 and 2 being provided with three 50% electric boiler feed pumps and unit 3 with two 50% electric feed pumps. The main turbo-generator was manufactured by Parsons, and many of the major components were interchangeable with the turbo-generators at Hunterston B around 13 miles (21 km) south, on the Firth of Clyde, also then owned by the South of Scotland Electricity Board.
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