Bright Future for Greenwich Power Station?
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and Transport for London today launched plans to revamp London’s historic Greenwich Power Station for the 21st century, and transform it to generate low carbon power for London’s Tube network and potentially heat for local homes and public buildings.
The installation of up to 6 brand new gas engines in the building’s vast Old Turbine Hall, originally the electricity generator for London’s trams, will provide cheaper, low carbon power for London’s Tube network. The work is planned to commence in April this year, and will take twenty years to fully complete. Learn more about the plans.
The Leader of the council Denise Hyland on was on TV last evening (8th January) and explained that this new initiative would produce surplus energy that could be used to heat homes and cut domestic and public buildings energy bills as part of a ‘heat network’. Heat networks operate as part of a decentralised energy system. They have the potential to supply low to zero carbon energy in dense urban areas. The mayor’s office and RBG are currently working on plans to bring this initiative to Greenwich. Good news for East Greenwich and for the environment.
Greenwich Power Station was but in 1906. Whilst it has remained operational throughout this period it has been under used for years although it provides emergency power for the tube network. Restored to full operational capacity the power station will contribute up to 13% of the energy needed to run the underground network.
