In 1897 Shoreditch was the first borough in England, if not the world, to build an electrical generator powered by burning rubbish. It was named The Dust Destructor.
The original green power station stood in Coronet Street, the building is still there today and marked by a plaque. The borough was also one of the first to light and lay electrical mains in almost every street.
Built in 1896 by the Shoreditch Vestry, and inaugurated in 1897 by the physicist and engineer Lord Kelvin, this was an early purpose-built undertaking designed to generate electricity from steam created by burning rubbish and dust. It was therefore an early precursor of sustainable development and recycling. The generated electricity powered street lights and some adjacent washhouses, since demolished. At its most efficient it consumed about 10 tons of rubbish per day. It was built in Coronet Street and faces onto Hoxton Market.
There is a Latin carving in the wall over the main entrance that reads
"E. Pulvere, Lux, Et, Vis."
which broadly translates into 'Light and Power from Dust’,
while over the door is another carving
"Vestry of St Leonard, Shoreditch
Electric Light Station"
The Vestry was a body responsible for local government and was a precursor of Shoreditch Borough Council.
The works was eventually decommissioned and converted in 1994 for other uses. It is currently occupied by Circus Space LinkExternal link.