Battersea Power Station
The London Power Company commissioned Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to design a large coal-fired electricity-generating facility at Battersea. Completed in 1939, Battersea was England’s first super station capable of producing 400,000 kilowatts.
Battersea was the first in a series of large stations established as part of the National Grid power distribution system then being introduced.
Battersea's four-chimney silhouette did not appear until 1953 with the construction of B Station. For its first 20 years, the power station only had a single chimney at each end.
Station A was shut down in 1974 and Station B ceased operation in 1983. The building is now a Grade II listed building, due in part to Station A’s Art Deco-style interior. At the beginning of the 21st century it was being converted into a large commercial and entertainment complex.
Lot's Road Power Station
Bankside Power Station
Bankside is on the south bank of the Thames opposite St Paul's Cathedral. The oil-fired power station was commissioned in response to a 1947 power shortage.
Designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the brick-clad steel structure is 200 metres long and has a 99-metre tall central chimney. The western section started generating power in 1952, although the entire structure was not completed until 1963.
Rising oil prices made Bankside uneconomic, and the station was closed in 1981. The building's impending demolition was halted in 1994 and, after a five-year conversion, Bankside reopened as the Tate Modern gallery in May 2000.
Barking Power Station
The County of London Electric Supply Co opened Barking Power Station at Creekmouth in 1925. In 1927 the company was contracted by Barking Urban District Council to provide a bulk electricity supply.
Barking's original 'A' station was enlarged by the building of 'B' station, which began to operate at full capacity in 1939. The power station was transferred to the London Division of the British Electricity Authority in 1948.
Although originally built to supply the county of London, Barking now serves a wide area. This includes part of Kent, as well was the national grid. Barking remains one of the largest steam-generating stations in Europe.
Neasden Power Station
The Metropolitan Railway's coal-fired power station at Neasden opened in December 1904, alongside the railway’s existing depot and workshops in northwest London.
The power station was taken over by London Transport in 1933. Extensions to the Underground in the 1930s, especially in northwest London, brought modernisation to Neasden. Its capacity was increased to meet the growing demand for power. The power station was abandoned in 1968.
Deptford Power Station
Deptford was one of a string of coal-fired power stations situated along the Thames. Completed in 1891, it was designed by Sebastian de Ferranti, engineer to the London Electric Supply Corporation.
Deptford was the world’s largest power station. It was eventually superseded by Deptford East and West power stations. Operations ceased in 1983 and Deptford Power Station was finally demolished in April 1992.
