South of Scotland Electricity Board


The South of Scotland Electricity Board generated, transmitted and distributed electricity throughout the south of Scotland, including the former regions of Strathclyde, Lothian, Fife, Central, Borders and Dumfries and Galloway and a few towns in northern England. It operated from 1955 to 1991.

History

As established by the Electricity Act 1947 there were two British Electricity Authority divisions responsible for the generation of electricity in Scotland based in Glasgow and Edinburgh. There were also two area boards for distribution of electricity responsible to the British Electricity Authority and to the Minister of Fuel and Power. It was thought by the industry and government that a single board for the South of Scotland would be better placed to cover the whole area and would provide administrative advantages such as simplification. The South of Scotland would then be in line with the North of Scotland which was covered by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board for both the generation and distribution of electricity. The new arrangement would provide a more efficient service and better match Scotland's needs.
The Electricity Reorganisation Act 1954 transferred to the Secretary of State for Scotland the responsibility for electricity matters in Scotland and established the South of Scotland Electricity Board, a new public authority for the generation and distribution of electricity in the South of Scotland. Scotland was given control of its own electricity undertakings, and the responsibility for adequate performance became the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Scotland. On 1 April 1955, South West Scotland Electricity Board and South East Scotland Electricity Board were merged into the South of Scotland Electricity Board.
The board operated conventional coal-fired steam stations, hydro-electric stations and nuclear power stations.
The board was dissolved in 1991 as a consequence of the Electricity Act 1989 which privatised the British electricity industry.

Existing electricity suppliers taken over at nationalisation

The Electricity Order 1948 transferred the electricity business of the following local authorities and private companies to the new boards effective 31 March 1948.

South West Scotland Electricity Board

Local authorities
Local authorities
The 1954 act specified the management board was to comprise a chairman and not less than four and not more than eight members. All appointments to the board were to be made by the Secretary of State for Scotland.
The Board's headquarters were at Sauchiehall Street and Inverlair Avenue Glasgow.

Chairmen

South East Scotland Electricity Board

  • 1948–1955: Sir Robert Norman Duke, KBE, CB, DSO, MC

    South West Scotland Electricity Board

  • 1948–1955: Sir John Sydney Pickles, MIEE

    South of Scotland Electricity Board

  • 1955–1962: Sir John Sydney Pickles, MIEE
  • 1962–1967: Sir Norman Randall Elliott, CBE
  • 1967–1973: Charles Lewis Cuthbert Allen, FICE, FIEE
  • 1974–1977: Sir Francis Leonard Tombs, FREng
  • 1977–1982: Donald Roy Berridge, CBE
  • 1982–1991: Sir Donald John Miller

    Electricity generation

Electricity generated by the board was from coal-fired steam power stations, hydro-electric stations, and from 1964 from nuclear power stations.

Steam power stations

Outline details of the Steam power stations of the South of Scotland Electricity Board in 1958 are as follows:
Power stationLocationSteam raising capacity of boilers, 1000 lb/hrGenerating setsTotal generating capacity, MWSteam condenser, tower or water course, water flowrate
BaronyCumnock Ayrshire3001 × 30 MW30Cooling tower 3 million gallons per hour
BonnybridgeStirlingshire6901 × 5 MW, 2 × 12.5 MW, 2 × 20 MW70Cooling tower 3.35 mgph
BraeheadRenfew2,1004 × 50 MW200River Clyde
Clyde’s MillCambuslang Glasgow2,1242 × 18.75 MW, 8 × 30 MW277.5Cooling tower 3.0 mgph
DalmarnockGlasgow2,3602 × 18.75 MW, 2 × 50 MW, 1 × 60 MW197.5River Clyde
DunfermlineFife1541 × 4 MW, 1× 6 MW, 1 × 3 MW13Townhill Loch
FalkirkStirlingshire851 × 1.5 MW, 2 × 3 MW7.5Cooling tower 0.4 mgph
FergusliePaisley1442 × 5 MW, 2 × 3 MW16.25Cooling trough 0.76 mgph
GalashielsSelkirkshire671 × 1.875 MW, 1 × 3.75 MW5.625Rivers Gala and Tweed

The Board commissioned large coal-fired stations such as the 760 MW Kincardine power station, the 1200 MW Inverkip, the 1200 MW Cockenzie power station, and the 2400 MW Longannet power station.

Hydro-electric power stations

Outline details of the Hydro-electric power stations of the South of Scotland Electricity Board in 1958 are as follows:
Power stationLocationCommissionedHead of water, feetGenerating setsGenerating capacity, MWElectrical Output , GWh
BonningtonLanark Lanarkshire19371892 × 4.92 MW9.8455.478
CarsfadCastle Douglas
Kirkcudbrightshire		1936652 × 6 MW1218.234
EarlstounCastle Douglas
Kirkcudbrightshire		19362 × 6 MW1221.821
GlenleeCastle Douglas
Kirkcudbrightshire		19353802 × 12 MW2546.72
KendoonCastle Douglas
Kirkcudbrightshire		19361502 × 10.5 MW2144.467
StonebyresLanark Lanarkshire972 × 2.84 MW5.6828.474
TonglandTongland
Kirkcudbrightshire		19353 × 11 MW33.2574.175

Nuclear power stations

The South of Scotland Electricity Board commissioned three nuclear power stations.
Power stationReactor typeOutputConstructionCommissionedClosedStatus
Hunterston AMagnox2 x 180 MWe19571964March 1990Decommissioning
Hunterston BAGR2 x 610 MWe19681976January 2022Defuelling
TornessAGR2 x 682 MWe19801988–Operational

Transmission

The supply of electricity was by high voltage cables. In 1958 there were 170 miles of transmission line operating at 275 kV and 841 miles at 132 kV. They connected 20 power stations and 44 transforming stations. There were connections to the North of Scotland grid system and to England via the 275 kV Clyde’s Mill to Carlisle line. By April 1989 there were 526 km of 400 kV lines; 1,565 km of 275 kV lines; 1,642 km of 132 kV lines; and 80,256 km of less than 132 kV lines.

Distribution areas

Electricity supply to customers was through eight Distribution Areas. The supply and other key data for 1956 were as follows:
Distribution areaElectricity supplied to grid, MWhMax demand, MWElectricity sold 1956, GWhConsumers
Ayrshire558,761116,180409,298107,194
Clyde1,021,442240,170848,830194,048
Dumfries and Galloway249,98057,820195,30946,774
Edinburgh and Borders1,074,638240,000858,571242,449
Fife463,36986,550337,32198,189
Glasgow1,232,475301,8801,034,764265,802
Lanarkshire1,334,684278,2501,182601216096
Stirling608,293109,200432,11995,807