The Southall Gas Works are located in Southall, Middlesex, west of London, United Kingdon. They consist of about 83 acres, and are the former location of a plant for the production of town gas, but currently the location is set for redevelopment into a mini-town with high density housing and businesses. Until the property is redeveloped, it is being used as a site for the pressure reduction of natural gas, and natural gas storage.
The land is roughly triangular in shape, and is located between the south bank of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, the Great Western Main Line railway between Southall and Hayes stations (the Straight) and residential development. Across from the canal is the newly developed Minet Country Park.
HISTORY: Brentford Gas Company originally contstructed the gas works in 1869 on the western end of the property, eventually expanding over the entire 83 acres which was the former location of a chemical works company and a brickyard. The earliest construction included a retort house (a structure that contained the distilling/condensing equipment) and a 480,000 cubic foot gas holder. In 1881 an additional retort house was constructed and in 1885 an ammonium sulphate plant was added on the site. In 1878 the construction of a 1,130,000 holder was completed followed in 1885 by a Hurd holder of 2,100,000 cubit feet capacity. Expansion continued, and in 1892 holder number 4 was added, with a capacity of 3,950,000 cubic feet. A carbureted water gas plant was added in 1899 with a capacity of 3,000,000 cubit feet/day and 1903 saw the addition of another retort house for 200 retorts. Chemical plants to produce Blue Water Gas were added during World War I.
Brentford Gas Company was taken over by Gas Light and Coke Company (GLCC) in 1926. GLCC added the 300 foot high holder which is currently located on the property, built in the early 1930s, with a capacity of 7,500,000 cubic feet. This structure is a well-known landmark today.
The chemical works closed by 1935, having been replaced by the smaller Beckton Products Works, to the east (primarily road tar and creosote production).
In 1949 the gasworks came under the control of the oil gasification plant during the nationalization of the gas industry. By 1951 the plant was utilized primarily during peak demands to produce up to 300,000 cubic feet of gas a day. Expansion in 1953-54 a 12,000,000 cubic feet CWG plant replaced the original retort house that had been built in the 1860, and tower purifiers were added.
A large oil storage tank of 544,000 Imperial gallons was constructed in 1960 as liquid petroleum replaced the use of coal as feedstock. A catalytic reforming plant was installed in 1963 with a capacity of 60,000,000 cubic feet/day and in 1966 a 30,000,000 cubic feet/day Catalytic rich gas plant was installed.
Products Works halted the distilling of tar in 1968 and closed those operations. In 1973 the gas works closed and moved to North Sea gas, and the site resorted to storage and distribution duties. The site was acquired by British Gas Plc in 1973 and later to National Grid plc. When the site was surveyed in 2007 during a proposed project for a biofuel station, the original gasholder that had been built in the 1860s (gasholder #1) was no longer being used, #2 and #4 had been demolished, #3 and #5 were still in use.
In 2010, the Mayor of London approved permission for the planning of a mixed-use development of health and education buildings, leisure and 3750 homes. A proposed biofuel power station had been proposed for the site, but rejected. To date, development of the site has not progressed and the site remains in use for gas pressure reduction and storage, as well as parking for Heathrow Airport.
The Southall Gasworks have appeared in films. In 1970, they were used in "Doctor Who" as a space center fueling station. In 1975 the site appeared in an episode of the police/crime film "The Sweeney", and again in 1977 in the film "Sweeney!".
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