News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 6th Year

Issue

Issue No.

10

Date Released

Jun 1953

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. COAL WELL USED
• 2. STOW IT
• 3. YORKSHIRE EXPRESS
• 4. WASP’S NEST

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: the Littlebrook B power station at Dartford, Kent - one of the most efficient coal-burning stations.
NCB Commentary - Meet the champion power station of 1952, Littlebrook ‘B’ at Dartford in Kent. Most power stations use coal, and Littlecrook is the one that uses ot most efficiently.
Engineers talk about a power station’s thermal efficiency. That means how thoroughly it burns its coal and how cheaply it produces steam for power. Last year Littlebrooks topped the list. Taking British power stations as a whole, last year they were point 82 of one percent more efficient. That doesn’t sound much, but it does mean that over 3 million pounds were saved, and about one million three hundred throusand tons less coal were burned.
At Littlebrook each boiler uses 15 tons of coal an hour, and burns it at 2300 degrees Farenheit to produce steam at 1250 pounds per square inch.
Saving coal is still important to the nation. More and more coal is needed as British Electricity brings into the grid new power stations and new plant. For the miners, news like this means that the coal they dig is going to be efficiently used.

Researcher Comments

BFI sources suggest that this story was filmed on the 17th April 1953. Commentary recorded 4 May 1953.

Keywords

Science and technology; Mining; Energy resources

Locations

Kent; England; Dartford

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.8 No.87 January 1954, p32.
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Camera

Alan Hewison

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Director

Malcolm Stewart

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Camera

Wolfgang Suschitzky