History

Power Station (305): Then And Now

Given its insatiable appetite for power, it’s no surprise that Pyestock had its own power station. It originally had four sets of generators, which were used to start various plant, provide electrical backup if the external power supply was interrupted, and provide extra power during peak running periods. At times of low demand, generated power was sold back to the National Grid.

Most of the plant had disappeared in 2007 leaving the turbine hall half empty. However, the Bellis and Morcom generator set was still in-situ along with its associated Parsons turbine. By coincidence, this was the generator pictured by the original photographer, although I didn’t match the same, exact view..

The 12.75MW steam driven Bellis and Morcom generator set

The first floor of the turbine hall looking south. The back of the Parsons generator can be clearly seen. 31|03|07 © Simon Cornwell 2007