The use of AC allowed the voltage to be raised to 10 kV for transmission between Deptford and Grosvenor Gallery.

[1] Sebastian de Ferranti was appointed to engineer the scheme, and the world's first central power station opened at Deptford in 1889.

To distinguish it from later adjacent developments, Ferranti's power station subsequently took the name Deptford East LP.

[2] In 1889 two 10,000 Volt Ferranti alternators driven by two 1500 hp Hick, Hargreaves reciprocating steam engines were installed,[3] supplied by 24 boilers[4] burning coal brought by collier from Newcastle.

There were teething problems both at the power station and at the Grosvenor Gallery substation, resulting in lengthy shutdowns and loss of customers.

The plant was rebuilt with steam turbines and other improvements, and electricity supply eventually became reliable.

[2] When Britain eventually standardised to 50-cycle three-phase AC, Deptford East LP was downsized to just a few 25-cycle turbine-generators.

To feed the 50-cycle National Grid from the LP station, a frequency converter was installed in Deptford West.

Deptford West was conceived by LESCo but was built by LPC and was engineered by Leonard Pearce.

This may have been on the site one of the original dry docks founded by Henry VIII for the Royal Navy.

Deptford East HP opened in 1953 with three 52.5 MW turbine-generators, a range of coal-fired boilers (2 × 225,000 lb/hr (28.3 kg/s) and 5 × 250,000 lb/hr (31.5 kg/s); delivering at 950 psi and 925 °F (496 °C))[11] and a single chimney.

This was never realised because the rapid rate of rise of electricity demand needed much larger power plants than could be accommodated at Deptford.

In 1916, a Zeppelin dropped a 250 lb bomb, killing one man and putting the entire traction and industrial switchboard out of action, but lighting supplies were restored within 12 minutes, and traction supplies were restored within 24 hours.

A summary of all the turbine-generator ratings in the mid-1960s:[8] This compares with 4,000 MW at Drax and 3,200 MW at Hinkley Point C. Although Deptford was small by modern standards, its contribution to the war effort and to the post-war recovery period was invaluable.