Spencer Street Power Station, Victoria

Spencer Street Power Station
The power station undergoing demolition in 2007
Location of Spencer Street Power Station
Country	Victoria, Australia
Location	Spencer Street, Melbourne,
Coordinates	37°48′53″S 144°57′12″E / 37.81472°S 144.95333°E / -37.81472; 144.95333Coordinates: 37°48′53″S 144°57′12″E / 37.81472°S 144.95333°E / -37.81472; 144.95333
Status	Closed & Demolished
Commission date	1892
Decommission date	1982
Thermal power station
Primary fuel	coal, oil

Spencer Street Power Station was a Victorian era coal and (later) oil-fired power station which operated on Spencer Street in central Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The station was opened in 1892, and supplied power to the city’s residents, as well as being a wholesale supplier to other municipal distributors. It came under the management of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria in 1941. By the 1960s the capacity of the station reached 109 MW, but was used only for peak load. The station was closed in 1982 after becoming redundant. Eventually deemed an eyesore, demolition commenced in 2006 and demolition was finished in 2008.

Spencer Street Power Station was built by the City of Melbourne to supply electricity to the city.Arthur James Arnot designed and managed Spencer Street power station from 1894-1901 for the Melbourne City council.

A Station:- The first power plant consisted of 24 General Electric direct current (DC) generators installed in four groups of six. Each group was belt driven by a 300HP Austral Otis horizontal compound slow speed steam engine. The terminal voltage was 3 kV DC and the electricity was used for street lights, trams, lifts and city buildings. Steam was supplied from four Babcock & Wilcox water tube boilers. In 1897 four General Electric 75KW alternators were added. They were belt driven by the existing engines. Output was 2 kV and 72 Hz. In 1900 a Peach three-crank compound 2500HP steam engine was installed. It was coupled to a Johnson & Phillips 120KW alternator. The alternating current (AC) was used in the surrounding suburbs via transformers. 1905 saw further expansion with one 200KW alternator, 4x350KW vertical Belliss steam engines that were direct-coupled to DC generators at 460V DC. This was to augment the city supply. Steam was supplied by another four Babcock boilers.