Ferranti and Merz: power transmission system design engineers

Ferranti and Merz were the architects of power transmission system design in Britain. Ferranti's design concept broke through the parochial model of electricity supply inherent in the Electricity Lighting Acts of 1882 and 1888. Although the concept of a remote high-power central station with high-voltage transmission and large-area distribution was not realised by Ferranti in 1889, it was realised by the power companies. Merz was foremost in using the Ferranti design concept in 1901 for the Newcastle, later the North East, Electric Supply Company (NESCo.). Later Merz introduced a new radical concept by the interconnection of a number of power stations. He did this first for NESCo. And in 1916 he proposed this as a model to be adopted for British electrification. Merz was unique in first solving the technical problems of power station interconnection and then realising that such a transmission system best suited an electricity supply for the industrial areas of Britain