The United Kingdom Central Electricity Board (CEB) was established by the Electricity (Supply) Act 1926. It had the duty to supply electricity to authorised electricity undertakers, to determine which power stations would be 'selected' stations to generate electricity for the board, to provide main transmission lines to interconnect selected stations and electricity undertakers, and to standardise generating frequency.
History
In 1925 Lord Weir chaired a committee that proposed the creation of the Central Electricity Board to link the UK’s most efficient power stations with consumers via a ‘national gridiron’. At that time, the industry consisted of more than 600 electricity supply companies and local authority undertakings, and different areas operated at different voltages and frequencies (including DC in some places). The board's first chairman was Andrew Duncan.
The CEB established the UK's first synchronised AC grid, running at 132 kilovolts and 50 Hertz, which by 1933 was a collection of local grids, with emergency interlinks, covering most of England. This started operating as a national system, the National Grid, in 1938.
After completion of the National Grid the role of the CEB changed from planning and construction to operating and managing the regional grid systems.
The CEB established laboratories at Croydon and Waddon to undertake research on high voltage transmission problems.
The CEB co-existed with the Electricity Commissioners, an industry regulator responsible to the Ministry of Transport.
The CEB ceased to exist when the electricity industry was nationalised by the Electricity Act 1947 and taken over by the British Electricity Authority.
Key people
Chairmen
There were four chairmen of the Central Electricity Board between 1927 and 1948:
- Sir Andrew Duncan (1884–1952), Chairman 1927–35.
- Sir Archibald Page (1875–1949), Chairman 1935–44.
- Harold Hobson, Chairman 1944–46.
- Sir Johnstone Wright (1883–1953), Chairman 1947–48.
The board
Upon its establishment in 1927 the Board comprised a full-time chairman and seven part-time members, all appointed by the Minister of Transport. The inaugural part-time members were:
- Sir James Lithgow (1883–1952), businessman.
- Sir Duncan Watson, former chairman of the London and Home Counties Joint Electricity Authority.
- Sir James Lyne Devonshire (1863–1946), vice-president of Tramways, Light Railways and Transport Association.
- William Walker, vice chair of Manchester Corporation Electricity Committee.
- Walter Kennedy Whigham (1878–1948), director of the Bank of England.
- Vernon Willey (1884–1982) (Lord Barnby).
- Frank Hodges, labour representative, secretary to the International Miners’ Federation.
Other key CEB staff
Under the board were a general manager, secretary, chief engineer, commercial manager and support sections. This plant was originally for export to South Africa but was made available to the CEB.
In 1942 it was decided to add a second 40 MW set and two further boilers with a total capacity of 400,000 lb/hr (50.4 kg/s) which was bought into use in 1945.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Earley power station
!Year
!Maximum output capacity, MW
!Running hours or load factor, %
!Electricity output, GWh
!Thermal efficiency, %
|-
|1946
|
|(52.5 %)
|376.312
|25.18
|-
|1947
|120
|
|399.409
|
|-
|1948
|120
|
|539.020
|
|-
|1954
|114
|7635
|396.879
|24.71
|-
|1955
|114
|6947
|400.616
|24.46
|-
|1956
|114
|7078
|418.775
|25.00
|-
|1957
|114
|6577
|398.312
|24.95
|-
|1958
|114
|5988
|325.201
|24.46
|-
|1961
|114
|22.0 %
|219.328
|23.99
|-
|1962
|114
|24.3 %
|242.594
|24.31
|-
|1963
|114
|20.55 %
|205.236
|24.21
|-
| rowspan="2" |1967
|114
|37.7 %
|376.772
|24.35
|-
|111 (GT)
|8.8 %
|85.663
|23.04
|-
| rowspan="2" |1972
|114
|28.4 %
|284.703
|23.82
|-
|111 (GT)
|6.0 %
|58.219
|22.15
|-
|1979
|111 (GT)
|0.6 %
|6.001
|19.40
|-
|1981
|111 (GT)
|–
|0.145
|–
|-
|1982
|111 (GT)
|0.1 %
|1.265
|14.35
|}
The steam plant and generators were decommissioned in the 1970s. The gas-turbine plant and the whole station were decommissioned in 1982, the two chimneys demolished in 1982.
Locations
The CEB headquarters was at Trafalgar Buildings, 1 Charing Cross, London SW1. There was also an establishment at Horsley Towers, East Horsley, Surrey.