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© Transport for London
Collection of London Transport Museum
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The Turbine hall taken at Greenwich Power station.

Unknown photographer, 1905

Location: Greenwich Power Station, Greenwich, SE10

Image no: Ukn

Inventory no: 1998/49383

20th Century London caption: Greenwich power station was constructed in two stages between 1902 and 1910, and has been much modified since then. Greenwich is the only original power station site still in operation in London, and is still part of London Underground's back-up power supply. It was built by London County Council (L.C.C.) to power the tram and Underground lines, which were being electrified at that time. The original power plant included a coal-fired boiler house and an engine room. This housed four compound reciprocating steam engines driving flywheel-type alternators at 6,600 volts and 25 hertz. The power station still has a jetty on the Thames, where the coal needed by the boilers was delivered by river. In the second stage of the project, in 1910, these coal-fired boilers were replaced by steam-powered turbine alternators.

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