# Inverkip Power Station - October 2009



## ukmayhem (Oct 6, 2009)

Visted with Darkzac

Wow what a place, We made the 7 hour drive to Scotland with mixed feelings weather we would succeed or not after speaking to different people about tight security, builders and demolition etc... thankfully we experienced none of this and had the place to ourselfs all we had to combat was the shocking weather, 60mph winds, rain and sleet not something us southerners are use too lol.

We spent around 9 hours at Inverkip and still didnt feel enough the site is MASSIVE and mindblowing you could spend a week inside. Absolutly loved it especially the Control room. Who did start the Money plate? I added my coppers to the pile with included mouldy scotch eggs lol.

Was well worth the trip and so glad we done it.

*History*

Inverkip power station is an oil-fired power station in Inverclyde, on the west coast of Scotland. It is actually located closer to Wemyss Bay than Inverkip and dominates the local area with its 778 foot (236m) chimney, the third tallest in the UK and Scotland's tallest free-standing structure. 

In common with other power stations in Scotland it lacks cooling towers; instead, sea water is used as a coolant. The station consists of three generating units with a combined rating of 1900MW.

Construction began for the then South of Scotland Electricity Board (SSEB) in 1970 of what was to be Scotland's first oil-fired power station. However, the soaring price of oil as a result of the 1973 oil crisis meant that by the time construction was completed generation was uneconomical. It was therefore rarely utilised to anything near capacity with 1200MW being mothballed and the remaining capacity being used to satisfy peak demand. A notable example of when it was used at capacity was during the miners' strike of 1984/5 when low coal supplies prompted operation. Generation ceased in January 1988.

In construction, provision was made on site for a fourth generating unit (to the north of the existing units), including a fourth stack inside the chimney. One design feature of the power station is the lack of steam driven boiler feed pumps, with units 1 and 2 being provided with three 50% electric boiler feed pumps and unit 3 with two 50% electric feed pumps. The main turbo-generator was manufactured by Parsons, and many of the major components were interchangeable with the turbo-generators at Hunterston B around 13 miles south on the Firth of Clyde, also then owned by the South of Scotland Electricity Board.

This facility is now owned by the privatised ScottishPower utility group and is maintained in a mothballed condition as part of the strategic reserve. While it is not listed by ScottishPower as being available for generation, demolition is scheduled for 2009 and the site will be cleared for housing and small business development.


*Pictures*
















































































































































More pictures with be on my Flickr shortly


Matt


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## james.s (Oct 6, 2009)

I never tire of seeing Inverkip! Nice work


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## lost (Oct 7, 2009)

ukmayhem said:


> Who did start the Money plate? I added my coppers to the pile with included mouldy scotch eggs lol.



I think it was Gorecki, a tip for the lovely buffet they provided for us.






It was still edible, so they were probably not long gone... 

Nice work getting in to Inverkip, I heard it's become a bit harder recently.


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## Lightbuoy (Oct 7, 2009)

Loverly jubberly UKM 

Amazing to see the power still on -were your tempted to see if you could fire-up the turbines?

Ta for sharing -quality pics.


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## mookster (Oct 7, 2009)

wow, that place is immense! Great work UKM


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## ekp09 (Oct 7, 2009)

Nice pictures! I love the small chair in the big room!!!


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## Pincheck (Oct 7, 2009)

it is a great place for pictures as you say a week at least . you can use the heaters to stay warm


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## rjg_scotland (Oct 9, 2009)

I also can't tire of it. Been twice, up the chimney once, and I still want to go back again. Really want to spend a long time there - pick a day when I have no need to be back anywhere by any time. Maybe even spend a night there as some others have.

I see stuff has changed yet again, indeed parts look rather more like when I first visited a couple years ago than they did earlier this year.

Nice to have an update, thanks


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## Bryag (Oct 9, 2009)

rjg_scotland said:


> I also can't tire of it. Been twice, up the chimney once, and I still want to go back again. Really want to spend a long time there - pick a day when I have no need to be back anywhere by any time. Maybe even spend a night there as some others have.
> 
> I see stuff has changed yet again, indeed parts look rather more like when I first visited a couple years ago than they did earlier this year.
> 
> Nice to have an update, thanks



Sounds like a road trip RJG, give me and Zimbob a shout if you are planning, we would be well up for it. No chimney action though(after recent shennanigans, probably a low profile explore would be best)

I actually have some amusing news, PM me if you want to know


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## klempner69 (Oct 9, 2009)

Excellant stuff Uk,I am quite envious now.


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## wolfism (Oct 11, 2009)

Great set of photos, looks like you saw the best parts. 

The loose change was the least we could do – as Lost said, Scottish Power's contractors left us a plate of (fairly) fresh sandwiches. I'm amazed that, two years on, people are still adding to the coinage.


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## Pyroninja (Oct 16, 2009)

Ah I see they have removed the boiler tubes which were sitting in that big empty space below the crane...Hmmm I wonder who's snapped them up, Drax?


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