Report - Rugeley ‘B’ Power Station (Remains of), Staffordshire – December 2020

[MotionlessMike]

Construction of Rugeley B began in 1964, with completion of the station in 1970. The architects were L. K. Watson and H. J. Coates. The architects coloured two of the four cooling towers a pinkish red colour to heighten what they saw as the femininity of the hyperbolic form.

The A & B stations were initially operated by the Central Electricity Generating Board, but following privatisation in 1990, were handed over to National Power. The supplying Lea Hall colliery was closed on 24 January 1991, meaning all coal burned in the stations needed to be delivered by rail.

In March 2012 Rugeley Power Ltd announced it would be considering a conversion to run using biomass fuel. In December 2013 biomass conversion plans were scrapped.

In February 2016 it was announced that the power station would close in the summer with decommissioning to begin in June.

More of an update on the demolition if anything I guess!

As of December 2020 there is very little left remaining of Rugeley B – and what does remain is coming down quick. With none of the main attractions left, it at least gave us a chance to look in the smaller areas that don’t appear in pictures so often. Explore-wise it was fairly pain free, no hassle from security and we left after about three hours unscathed, minus a ruined pair of shoes due to ankle deep mud. Weather and light both awful as standard.

From the roadside

Pump house

Cooling tower externals were from a previous, sunnier wander

Coal unloading plant

And that’s pretty much all there is left!

Thanks for looking​

 

[clebby]

Nice to see some new bits. Just goes to show that they're still worth visiting even after demo is well underway.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Yep agree with above. Still got features and a good mooch about

 

[raisinwing]

Nicely done, can't fault that!

 

[HughieD]

That's proper good that mate...

 

[Speed]

Did you have a nosey at any of the A station era stuff? Look like it's all still in use?

 

[MotionlessMike]

Did you have a nosey at any of the A station era stuff? Look like it's all still in use?

Had a quick look around the outside of long brick building near where the new roundabout is which was presumably part of A station... Didn't have the pleasure of peeking inside though!

 

[A man called Martyn]

Had a quick look around the outside of long brick building near where the new roundabout is which was presumably part of A station... Didn't have the pleasure of peeking inside though!

Late to the party, The long brick building came just be seen poking out in this Picture i took of Rugeley A.

 

[Speed]

I did go back and have one last nosey around. Sadly the old 'A' era pump houses and stuff out the back had all been levelled already. Your right tho the substation is still there and still in use. Maybe one day!