BLACKWALL POINT GENERATING STATION
HISTORICAL
The use of the site for a generating station dates back to 1900 when a supply was commenced by the Blackheath and Greenwich District Electric Light Company Limited.
The original station went through many stages of development until its demolition as time-expired plant in l947. At the time of closing down the old station housed some l5,0000 KW of generating plant.
The new station, built on the existing site, is of 90,000 KW capacity. Demolition of the old station commenced on the lst April l947, and the first unit ( l x 30 MW turbo-alternator and l x 365 K.lb/hr. boiler) was commissioned on the 28th June,l95l.
An indication of the advance in design of generating plant may be given from the records of the old station for l904, which show that 7.6 lbs., of coal were consumed to generate l unit, whilst the corresponding figure for the new station in l952 was l.ll4 lbs.
GENERAL LAYOUT
The general layout of the station was very largely influenced by the restricted site available (3.47 acres). The turbo-alternators are placed longitudinally in the tune house, and the boilers arranged in a single row parallel to the machines, with no dividing wall between turbine and boiler house. The electrostatic precipitators and fans are stationed on the boiler house roof.
The canteen and stores building is in line with the turbine and boiler houses, and the administrative block – including main switchgear and control room – is situated on the opposite side of River Way with an interconnecting bridge to the turbine house.
COKE HANDLING
All coal is sea-borne to the station, the jetty being designed to accommodate ships up to 3,000 tons at the outer berth. Provision is made at the inner berth for discharge of ash and dust to barges. Two jetty cranes, each capable of handling up to 200 tons per hour,. are installed for discharging ships
Official publicity handout 1960s.
Return to Blackwall Point Power Station
Greenwich Peninsula History 
Hi, i worked there back in 1972, a fantastic place to be, sorry to see it all gone.
Have you any more pics of the station ?
Hi John. I also worked at Blackwall Point from 1958 to 1960 and would be very interested to see some more photographs. Great memories as shift control engineer!
hi Barry,
just checked to see if i had a reply, its great.
My dad worked there from day 1, jack clements, he was in emd, he used to take me round the station when i was young, thats all i ever wanted to do.
i am johncleme@msn.com
Hi Barry. I also was at Blackwall Point , 1959 .. 1960, as a Shift Control Engineer. As I recall Mr J W Telford was the Station Supt.
Alex Sykes
Alex,
I was at blackball point for just 6 weeks as an apprentice on the mills.
I knew the station inside out, my dad worked there from day 1 Jack clements Electrical Fitter, he used to take me round the station, i loved it and later in life went to bankside to start my training as craftsman Mechanical.
I remember he used to talk of Mr Telford, he went to Bankside, and of Mr Morley Electrical Engineer
Hi John
Thanks for your response. I think that I did my HNC with Henry Morley (many years ago) he was them an electrician at Littlebrook P Stn
Hi Alex,
I liked blackwall point, i did my training at Woolwich, a nice station, chain grate with some nice people there, a friendly atmosphere too
How the industry has changed i think losing all the London stations somehow lost their character with it too, each one being so different, i often stood outside Deptford but never went in, i had a friend there, i wish i had, as there is no info whatsoever now, all documentation was destroyed !!
Hi Alex. I’ve just picked up your post six years late! I was at Blackwall from about Feb 1959 as general asst engineer and became station shift control room engineer from Nov 1959 until Nov 1960..Mr Telford was Supt. I always remember when the station was re-rated from 90MW to 100MW and a higher pay scale!
Let me know if you read this post. Happy retirement to you and John.
Best wishes
Hi Barry
Days gone by.
I recall joining Blackwall round about Dec 1960. Relief Control Eng. I was a Gen Ast Engr at Belvedere PS
Became a Control Engr, but left in Dec 1961 .. joining the Steel Industry in S Wales
If I remember Stan Pardew , Brian Taylor and Stan Belton were shift charge engineers.
I can also remember walking all the way down Tunnel Ave from Westcombe Park to get to work. I lived in N Kent at the time. Would not want to do that now
Best wishes
Alex
Hi Alex
Thanks for your reply. I was a gen asst engineer at Belvedere from Nov 58 until about Feb 59 when I was transferred to Blackwall Point due to a labour dispute at Belvedere with construction workers which had stopped erection of equipment. I never saw the plant in operation!
I was gen asst eng at Blackwall until Nov 59 and station shift control room engineer from Nov 59 until Nov 60.. I unfortunately can’t remember any names apart from Mr Telford. I remember the painter, who was Mayor of Greenwich, organised a cricket team for the station and we played against several sports teams around the Greenwich and Lewisham area.
I left London Division in Nov 60 and started at CEGB hq at Bankside. House in the design and construction Division before a move to the Midlands still with the CEGB. I retired in 1991 and now live in Warwick.
Best wishes and keep well
Barry