Spondon `H’ was built alongside the existing Spondon `A’ Power Station. The `H’ stands for Heat and it was very efficient due to its back pressure Turbines supplying exhaust steam to British Celanese instead of a conventional condenser.
It was the first Combined Heat and Power Station built by the CEGB and construction started in 1956 with final commissioning in 1960. It consisted of four Foster Wheeler chain grate boilers supplying steam to three AEI 10mw back pressure Turbines which then exhausted steam to British Cellanese. This process was 24 – 7 throughout the year with an annual shutdown to carry out maintenance. Under normal circumstances three boilers and two turbines were enough to provide the required steam demand with the spare plant available for unavoidable breakdown repairs.
The electricity generation produced by Spondon `H’ was a by product of the steam being supplied to British Cellanese. The amount of generation depended on how much steam Celanese required. No condensate was returned from British Cellanese to `H’ Station so it had a very large 100% duty Water Treatment Plant.
Each Turbine had a full capacity Pressure Reducing Valve bypass to keep a continuous supply of steam to Celanese in the case of a turbine trip. These PRV’s had desuperheating sprays to bring the process steam temperature within parameters should a turbine trip occur. There was also a steam supply to `H’ Station available from `A’ Station steam range in case of emergencies.
When the CEGB closed the `A’ Station they sold `H’ Station to Celanese who operated it themselves.
