This week in 1899

In March 1899, The Engineer reported on the progress of the ‘generating station of the City of London Electric Lighting Company at Bankside’, where the Tate Modern art gallery now resides. Completed in 1891, it was at the time ‘said to be the largest establishment of its kind in the world’.

The report said: ‘There are now the equivalent of no less than 366,000 eight-candle power lamps connected to the mains and requests to connect 10,000 more have been received. As the station only supplies to substations, the switchboards are comparatively few in number for such a tremendous power ― a power which on the top of highest load reaches very nearly 16,000 horse power.’

“Many said there was no chance of such a scheme being successful”

The article contains some uniquely candid opinions on the business case for generating infrastructure and perhaps some valuable lessons in long-term thinking when it comes to building future low-carbon energy capacity.