decommissioned coal fired power station located south bank river_thames inner city district comprises individual power stations built stages form single building built 1930s east 1950s stations built nearly identical design providing long recognized chimney layout station ceased generating electricity past years best known landmarks london grade listed station celebrity owes numerous popular culture references include cover art album animals appearance beatles film help station largest brick buildings world notable original lavish interior fittings building remained largely unused closure condition structure described bad english_heritage included site listed world monuments watch station closure numerous redevelopment plans drawn successive site owners redevelopment project stalled site sold administrators irish company real estate opportunities bought million november plans station public use build homes site plan fell debt called creditors state owned banks ireland site subsequently placed sale december open property market commercial estate agent received interest variety overseas seeking demolish partly demolish structure combination existing debt burden million need million contribution proposed extension london underground requirements fund conservation derelict power station shell presence waste transfer station cement plant river frontage commercial development site significant challenge june announced administrators entered agreement malaysia working timely exchange completion site associated land completion million sale took place september redevelopment intends implement design gained planning consent january residential apartments went sale construction phase commence completion history late 1930s electricity supplied municipal small power companies built power stations dedicated single industry group factories sold excess electricity public companies widely differing standards voltage frequency parliament decided power grid single system uniform standards public ownership private power companies reacted proposal forming planned parliament recommendations build small number large stations super power stations planned area south bank river_thames london proposal station built stages capable generating electricity complete site chosen acre plot land site site chosen proximity river thames cooling water coal delivery heart london station immediate supply area proposal sparked protests felt building large worries pollution damaging local buildings parks paintings nearby company addressed concern hiring sir design building exterior noted architect industrial designer famous design red telephone box design london power station houses art gallery pollution issue resolved granting permission station condition emissions treated ensure clean construction phase station began march main building work carried structural erection carried sir contractors employed specialist tasks electrical equipment including steam turbine turbo generators produced manchester building steel frame began october completed construction brick began march construction station eastern wall boiler house clad metal temporary enclosure station generated electricity completed total cost construction construction beginning fatal non fatal accidents site end second world war construction began second phase station station came operation gradually nearly identical station outside constructed directly east mirror gave power station familiar chimney layout construction station brought site generating capacity making largest generating site time providing fifth london electricity needs remainder supplied smaller stations efficient power station world opened station operated time station completed electric supply industry ownership stations passed hands turn april power station site fire caused power failures london including launch bbc night launch delayed following day design specification stations designed team architects engineers team headed chief engineer number notable engineers involved including sullivan later responsible employed architect employed sub consultant responsible supervision execution appearance exterior interior building architect sir involved project later consulted public reaction referred press architect exterior station designed brick cathedral style power station design popular time small number examples style power station design existence station design proved popular described temple power ranked equal london landmark survey panel celebrities ranked second favourite modern building station control room given fittings architect italian marble turbine hall polished floors wrought iron owing lack available money following second world war interior station given treatment instead fittings steel connected stations consists long boiler house chimney end adjacent turbine hall makes single main building steel frame construction brick similar built united_states time station largest brick structure europe building gross dimensions measure metres metres roof boiler house standing metres chimneys concrete stands metres tall base diameter tapering station facilities unloading coal coal storage area control rooms administration block station generated electricity turbo british sets set totalling time commissioning generating set largest europe turbo consisted units high pressure units exhausting associated house giving units total rating unit consisted machine associated house giving unit rating combined gave station generating capacity making site generating capacity station boilers coal built boilers station station station boilers largest built time station highest thermal efficiency power station country years operation operations coal transportation station annual coal consumption tonnes majority coal delivered station coal ports coastal ships ships flat low profile superstructure fold funnel masts fit bridges thames successors owned operated flat service facilities cranes coal capacity unloading ships time rate tonnes hour coal delivered rail east station passes near site coal usually delivered rail belt system coal coal storage area directly station boiler rooms belt system consisted series bridges connected towers coal storage area large concrete box capable holding tonnes coal overhead belt attached belt system taking coal coal store boiler rooms water system water essential thermal power station steam steam turbines returned boiler water systems taken river_thames banks built station extract average imperial gallons water river day water station systems water cooled discharged river end world war took opportunity use waste heat supply started operating reduction emissions important factor station design stages main worries protested construction station began developing experimental technique washing gases water steel timber gases subject continuous washing presence catalyst iron dioxide converted acid commercial applications technique world method washing stopped station 1960s discovered discharge products thames harmful river gases atmosphere closure redevelopment closure fact station output continued fall coupled increased operating costs gas cleaning led demise march station closed operation years time station firing oil generating capacity declined years closure station rumours began soon follow campaign launched try save building national heritage result station declared heritage site secretary state environment awarded building grade listed status upgraded grade listed october production electricity station ended nearly years operation station generating capacity fallen closure stations largely generating equipment outdated preferred choice fuel electricity generation shifting coal oil gas nuclear power station ceased generating electricity numerous proposals attempts site theme park proposal following station closure planned demolish station sell land housing building grade listed status pay high cost preserving building held competition ideas redevelopment site won consortium including proposed indoor theme park based britain industrial history estimated cost million scheme risky require million visitors year profit scheme received planning approval site purchased million work converting site began year project halted march lack funding costs quickly escalated january million million point huge sections building roof removed machinery taken roof building steel framework left exposed foundations prone flooding march proposal changed mixture offices shops hotel proposal granted planning permission august despite opposition independent organisations including english heritage despite permission granted work took place site proposal site outstanding debt million bought hong_kong based development company million following resolution creditors claims acquired title november plans redevelopment site submitted outline consent received detailed consent site granted august rest company received possession site having purchased site started work billion project restore building site retail housing leisure complex project plan called simply power station architect scheme proposed shopping mall restaurants bars shops comedy venues cinema cosmopolitan shops sited station turbine hall label shops station turbine hall boiler house public space installations exhibitions riverside walkway created running continuously riverside claimed jobs created construction project employed completed emphasis local recruitment campaigned plan argued alternative community based scheme drawn group described plans deeply project affordable housing acre site decent jobs local people credible public transport strategy criticised appropriate project location proposal large buildings site group said feel real problem need completely different kind scheme airport lounge treatment majestic building river surround buildings storeys high don landmark english_heritage london borough claimed reinforcement inside chimneys granted permission demolished rebuilt commissioned alternative engineers report claimed existing chimneys repaired response claimed given legally binding undertaking council provide certainty chimneys replaced like like accordance requirements english_heritage planning authorities proposal november announced led irish businessmen purchased surrounding land million million subsequently announced previous plan dropped appointed practice born architect new_york new master site engineers retained design team announced billion plan later revised jersey law firms helped raise funds new redevelopment november officially announced scheme collapsed debt called creditors putting site administration london underground extension proposed regeneration extension london underground serve area site close stations appears considered trains stations victoria respectively heavily loaded proposed mile extension branch northern line travel west proposed extension cost million terms inflation optimism bias extra amounts funded possibly significant land owners area planning consent site includes phased contribution approximately million underground extension adds financial difficulties developing site power station include station building power station waste station existing chimneys utilised steam turbine halls converted shopping spaces boiler house park energy museum housed inside station building restoration power station building cost million dome plastic built dome built east power station building originally planned large metres chimney abandoned favour series smaller towers dome house offices aim reduce energy consumption buildings compared conventional office buildings towers draw cool air building new homes built site house people consultation process june consultation process launched revealed general public favour plans event station march announced submit planning application proposal plans shelved latest financial crisis hit site planning consent council gave planning consent november hoped construction begin delayed station structure expected repaired secure completion project plans include construction apartments square foot office space approximately inhabitants workers expected occupy space complete allow time reported september allow time new equity partner found owner london waived debt maturity deadline yesterday talks potential new equity partners redevelopment continued source close process told seeking partner billion pound billion development senior ireland extended deadline relating million pounds paid site banks gain calling debt talks new equity partners continue announcement come weeks source said november called debt scheme collapsed administration new buyer sought site controversy september reported concern alleged donation euro developer britain proposal february sir architectural firm forward proposal convert power station site urban park option develop housing later date vision propose demolish central boiler hall chimneys display switching equipment control rooms pods plan unlikely bear fruit grade listing status site bid failed final considered administrators november reported considered moving new purpose built stadium power station proposed stadium hold fans feature retractable roof proposals designed company designed scheme seriously doubt concerns preservation site collapse scheme late november redevelopment plans following failure bid develop site february sale open market time history sale conducted commercial estate agent behalf site creditors bids received landmark site market called loans held bids received interested parties including malaysian interest company owned london based brothers berkeley sold new owner pay million power station including million cover debts held million contribution northern line extension sale unsuccessful agent duty maintain preserve site line listed status june announced administrators entered exclusive agreement malaysian developers given days conduct agree final terms deal completion sale malaysian consortium took place september redevelopment site use existing master plan intends position power station central focus acre site housing blend shops restaurants art leisure facilities office space residential accommodation plan includes restoration historic power station creation new riverside park north power station creation new high street designed link future entrance tube station redevelopment hoped bring extension existing riverside walk facilitate access directly power station park restoration grade listed power station early priority development work commenced plans include restoration art structure internally externally reconstruction chimneys refurbishment historic cranes new river taxi stop plan includes homes varying sizes sales residential apartments phase redevelopment began january cent apartments sold days construction work phase called undertaken commenced alongside work power station redevelopment consists seven main phases planned run concurrently phase complete northern line extension new terminal anticipated complete october appointed joint architect design phase scheme provide gateway entire development new northern line extension popular culture iconic structure featured shooting location films television programmes music videos video games station earliest appearances film film sabotage shows station construction station interior station control room find fish segment film meaning life appears daylight attack london sequence movie movie real life navigational landmark attacking luftwaffe bombers recently october power station filming location batman movie dark knight station stripped interior setting burnt warehouse station seen stand exterior london railway station film nineteen eighty station appears film floating pig appears homage amusement proprietor station appeared numerous times long running british science fiction series doctor appeared briefly episode invasion earth saw station 22nd century chimneys demolished nearby nuclear dome appeared doctor episodes rise age steel base drawn converted think main reasons power station worldwide recognition appeared cover album animals photographed group pink pig floating photographs taken early december pig german company australian artist pig power station southern chimneys broke loose pilots approaching planes drifted flight path airport police helicopters tracked course landed kent video footage promotional video song pigs wing album officially launched event power station recent years power station sporting cultural political events august station venue season april station venue launch general election manifesto station site coverage election
Battersea Power Station