Records of Babcock Energy Ltd, 1987-1995, boilermakers and engineers, London, England and Glasgow, Scotland
- Reference:GB 248 UGD 309/3
- Dates of Creation:1860s-1987
- Name of Creator:
- Language of Material:English
- Physical Description:53.3 metresThere are no physical characteristics that affect the use of this material
Scope and Content
- Board minutes 1972-1984;
- New Products committee minutes 1942-1953;
- Contracts division management committee minutes 1978-1984;
- Contract Review committee minutes 1965-1983;
- Executive Directors' Policy committee minutes 1972-1973;
- Executive Directors' meeting minutes 1971-1974;
- Management Committee meeting minutes 1973-1978;
- General Management meeting minutes 1984-1985;
- Babcock Power Investments management committee minutes 1980-1981;
- Executive committee meeting minutes 1976;
- Babcock Energy Technology committee minutes 1980-1983;
- Engineering Division Management meeting minutes 1977-1980.
- Departmental reports and accounts 1951-1984;
- Job books 1881-1975;
- Agreements 1886-1983;
- Catalogues 1890s-1970s;
- Staff and company newsletters 1927-1987;
- Presscuttings 1927-1962;
- Personnel records 1920-1987;
- Tchnical drawings and specification sheets 1890s-1965;
- Technical papers 1860s-1971;
- Shareholder records 1911-1955, 1976-1985;
- Statistical summaries 1912-1982;
- Patents 1873-1960;
- Visits, conferences, lectures and seminar records 1946-1986;
- Pension and insurance records 1912-1987;
- Directors' papers 1875-1890s;
- Marketing department records 1966-1979;
- Financial records 1903-1976;
- Public relations records 1941-1983;
- General management papers 1967-1986;
- Property, manufacturing and office facilities records 1891-1981;
- Nuclear industry records 1955-1981;
- Intimation notes and circulars 1900-1981;
- Quality assurance records 1890s-1977;
- Acquisition, liquidation, sales and reorganisation of companies records 1978;
- Files and scrapbooks relating to the company's history 1887-1952;
- Records relating to Water Tubes Boilermakers' Association and related organisations 1933-1985;
- Photographs 1979-1985.
Administrative / Biographical History
In 1856, 26-year old Stephen Wilcox of Rhode Island, USA, patented a water tube boiler that increased heating surfaces, allowed better water circulation and that was inherently safe. In 1867, he and his friend, George Babcock, established a partnership, Babcock, Wilcox & Co, to manufacture and market Wilcox's boiler. In 1881, the company was incorporated in America as The Babcock & Wilcox Company.
In 1881, the company opened a sales office in Glasgow, Scotland, and by 1883 boilers were being made by sub-contractors in Scotland. The first completely British-built Babcock boiler was manufactured for the Singer Manufacturing Co works in Kilbowie, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. A British company, Babcock & Wilcox Ltd was formed in 1891 with a capital of å£240,000 with its sphere of operation to include the world outside of the USA and Cuba that were already covered by the American company.
Babcock & Wilcox Ltd established its own manufacturing facility at Renfrew, Renfrewshire, Scotland in 1895 and increased the company's capital to å£1,575,000 in 1900. The firm rapidly became a leader in both land-based and marine boilers and opened subsidiaries and production facilities around the world. The group developed a large defence business during the 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 World Wars, producing tanks and munitions in addition to their naval boiler business. In 1926, the company provided massive steam generating hardware for Battersea Power Station, London, England.
In 1965 , Babcock & Wilcox Ltd established a subsidiary company, Babcock & Wilcox (Operations) Ltd with its head offices in London. By 1969 , the company was reponsible for the management of certain of the parent company's UK assets involving the marketing, manufacture, construction and commissioning of medium and heavy engineering products including conventional and nuclear steam raising plant, pressure vessels and heat exchanger equipment for power, chemical, metallurgical, and other industries. The company held licence arrangements with European and American organisations for selected products including construction equipment plant. It also serviced licensees throughout the world who manufactured and sold similar products. The company held a technical interchange agreement with Babcock & Wilcox Company, USA.
Babcock & Wilcox (Operations) Ltd was divided into 5 divisions: boiler and nuclear engineering based in London, England; chemical and processing engineering also based in London, manufacturing, construction and research and development all based at the Renfrew site. Major contracts received by this time included the boilers for the nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point, Somerset, England, and Sizewell, Suffolk, England and Wylfa, Wales. Boilers were also supplied to nuclear power stations in Italy and Sweden, to oil refineries such as at Grangemouth, Scotland, and pressure vessels for the British nuclear submarine programme.
By 1975 , Babcock & Wilcox (Operations) Ltd was divided into 3 divisions: contracting, production and construction. The contracting division designed, developed and manufactured fossil fuel fired and waste heat boilers, water tube and shell components for nuclear power stations and high pressure pipe work. They also undertook research and development for their parent company's (Babcock & Wilcox Ltd) products and processes. The production division manufactured pressure vessels, heat exchangers, boiler pressure parts, heavy fabrications and solid drawn tubes. The construction division dealt with the erection of central power station steam plant, both nuclear and conventional; and industrial, chemical and processing plant. They also undertook plant maintenance, rehabilitation and repair, manufacture and supply of spare parts for land and marine boilers and pipework.
In 1979 , Babcock & Wilcox Ltd became Babcock International Ltd and in 1982 a public limited company as Babcock International plc . Babcock & Wilcox (Operations) Ltd continued as a subsidiary and was renamed Babcock Power Ltd in 1979 . At this time, substantial investment was made in Babcock Power Ltd, including a new å£20 million machine and assembly shop extensively equipped with computer controlled machine tools being fitted at the Renfrew site.
By 1984 , Babcock International plc had restructured into 7 groups and Babcock Power Ltd was the chief company its UK Power Group. This group employed around 7,750 people and served customers both in the UK and abroad with a wide range of plant, equipment and services for power generation, petrochemical and process industries, steelmaking, and for offshore and marine industries. Major contracts included the Castle Peak power station in Hong Kong and orders for stations in South Africa and Zimbabwe. As the chief company within the group, Babcock Power Ltd operated a number of subsidiary companies. These companies were: Atlantic Power & Gas Ltd , Babcock Calorizing Ltd , Babcock Jenkins Ltd , Babcock PED Ltd , Babcock Product Engineering Ltd , Babcock Welding Products Ltd , Babcock Worsley Ltd and Fluidised Combustion Contractors Ltd . There were also a number of associated companies including Diamond Power Speciality Ltd, Multifuel Boilers Inc, and Wanson Company Ltd.
FKI Electricals plc, engineering company, London, merged with Babcock Power Ltd's parent company, Babcock International plc, in 1987 to become FKI Babcock plc . At the same year, Babcock Power Ltd was renamed Babcock Energy Ltd . FKI Babcock plc de-merged in 1989 to form FKI plc and Babcock International Group plc .
A further de-merger occurred within Babcock International Group plc in 1995 when the Mitsui Engineering & Shipping Co (est. 1917), Japan, bought-out Babcock Energy Ltd and a number of its subsidiary companies and constituted it as Mitsui Babcock Energy Ltd with its main offices in Renfrew. However, Babcock International Group plc retained a 25 percent share of Mitsui Babcock Energy Ltd, managed through Babcock (Management) Ltd .
In 2002, Mitsui Babcock Energy Ltd continued to trade, specialising in energy and nuclear plant, fitting the first vertical low mass flux once through boiler at Yaomeng Power Station, China, in 2001
Arrangement
The material is arranged into series as shown in the scope and content note. Within series, items are generally arranged chronologically.
Access Information
No access without the permission of the collection owners. Access request form available from Glasgow University Archive Services.
Acquisition Information
Permanent loan : FKI Babcock plc/Babcock International Group plc : 1988-1992 : ACCNS 0089, 0161, 0183, 1617
Permanent loan : Mitsui Babcock Energy Ltd : 2002 : ACCN 2300
Other Finding Aids
Digital and manual file level lists of the surviving records of all Babcock International Group plc and Mitsui Babcock Energy Ltd companies and their subsidiaries are available in the searchroom ref: UGD 309
Manual file level list available at the National Registers of Archives in Edinburgh (NRA(S)) and London (NRA33916)
Alternative Form Available
No known copies
Conditions Governing Use
Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the University Archivist
Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use & condition of documents
Appraisal Information
This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 248 procedures
Custodial History
Held by FKI Babcock plc and its predecessor companies
Accruals
None expected
Related Material
The records of the predecessor, subsidiary, and associated companies of Babcock International Group plc and Mitsui Babcock Energy Ltd are held by Glasgow University Archive Services starting with call reference GB 248 UGD 309
Records of companies that were a part of UK Power Group of Babcock International plc, of which Babcock Power was the chief subsidiary, and surviving at Glasgow University Archive Services include:
GB 248 UGD 309/26 Records of Babcock Jenkins Ltd
GB 248 UGD 309/47 Records of Babcock PED Ltd
GB 248 UGD 309/54 Records of Babcock Robey Ltd
GB 248 UGD 309/89 Records of Fluidised Combustion Contractors Ltd
GB 248 UGD 309/80 Records of Diamond Power Speciality Ltd
GB 248 UGD 309/126 Records of Rolls Royce & Associates Ltd
GB 248 UGD 309/144 Records of Wanson & Co Ltd
GB 248 UGD 309/68 Records of Calorizing Corporation of Great Britain Ltd
Bibliography
No known publications using this material
Additional Information
This material is original
Amended by Emma Yan, Assistant Archivist (Cataloguing), 21 December 2007
Subjects
Corporate Names
Geographical Names