During my visit to Cambridgeshire for a week’s cycling I was
intrigued by the fact that this monstrous edifice blighted the sky-line!
One of my colleagues said that the station had been shut down years ago so I
went to investigate only to find that it was alive and well. It is operated by
RWE in that Germanic efficient way (ha,ha!). The station was designed and built
by HSPE at Wymeswold where I worked for 7 years but after I left and went to
GEC Gas Turbines Whetstone where Sir Frank Whittle develop the jet engine.
Little Barford is equipped with 2 X GE Frame 9 GT’s fitted
with twin waste heat boilers that then power a 100 MW steam turbine. Total
output circa < 500 MW. The photo’s attached depict the site and you can see
the enormous bank of electric fan cooled condensers on the RHS of the second picture.
I was delighted to tell my cycling friend that the station
was still working. He could not believe it as there was no sign of an exhaust
plume or NOX emissions.
I have to say that after the shutdown of power and random
load shedding on Friday, I knew as I walked around that I should not have
thrown that switch on that power transformer! The authorities are now looking
for a Lycra clad cyclist with a helmet and Pheasant feather!
Doner und Blitzun!
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