ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 126, 24 November 1932, Page 13

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

"GRID" SCHEME IN BRITAIN

FURTHER PROGRESS

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, 22nd November

The Central Electricity Board announced to-day that as the construction of a "grid" had been completed in Mid-East England trading operations in that area would begin on Ist January. Under the "grid" scheme the production of electricity in that area will be concentrated in sixteen selected stations. These include two at Kirkstall and Ferrybridge which have reached'full efficiency p"er unit. They are generating in excess of 23 per cent., the national average being about 16 per cent.

The sixteen stations are inter-con-nected by main transmission lines operating at 132,000 volts, with "extensions to link up with the north-east, northwest, and south-west areas. A secondary system at 33,000 volts has been developed to open up certain agricultural districts and the transmission lines used iv the scheme total 525 miles. As well as being an important industrial centre, the Mid-East England area includes wide stretches of agricultural territory until .recently .undeveloped electrically. -.. The Government's electricity scheme, is proceeding under the provisions of the Electricity (Supply) Act of 1926, which authorised the creation of a Central Board to develop a national super-power scheme, erect main transmission, lines to cover the whole country, finance standardisation of .frequency so that one standard of transmission and distribution could be adopted—namely, 50 cycles—take over the output of all tho stations selected to supply the country under the new scheme, and sell current to authorised distributors at cost price.- It was estimated that by 1940-41 the total production of electricity would be 25,000,000,000 units, supplied by 60 stations with a total installed capacity of about 11,000,000 k.w. The , average .working cost of electricity when the concentration had been effected was expected to fall from .94d to less than Ml per unit. The Central Board, acting as a limited company, was empowered to sell stock to the public not exceeding £35,000,000 in value, principal and interest being guaranteed by the Treasury. The board worked out a three-point programme—(l) the creation of giant power stations in the main industrial.areas; (2) the construction of a main .transmission system operating at a pressure of 132,000' volts, so that the whole country will be held in a series of power rings from which secondary systems will be tapped; (3) the standardisation of frequency in the areas where 50 cycles are noi used. All three developments were .expected to reach a first point of completion in 1934-35 when the main transmission system.would have been constructed and the greater part of the conversion to a standard frequency effected in Scotland and the Midlands.