iht in bha spotlight issue 2 2011

I S S U E 2 • 2 0 1 1 www.british-hydro.org4

BHA NEWS Hydropower - the pioneer of renewable energy

The wheel turns full circleat Roach Bridge Mill After five years of planning and preparation, a new 200Kw hydro power planthas just been commissioned on the banks of the River Darwen nearSamlesbury. ‘Green’ energy from the historic Roach Bridge Mill installationwill be sufficient to power all businesses on site and feed ten times as muchinto the National Grid.

The new turbine makes use of235-year old Industrial Revolutioninfrastructure, including anoriginal weir and a dischargetunnel running the length of themill. It is the first part of ascheme which will ultimately seethe restoration of the originalbuilding to provide approx. 8,000sq. ft. of lettable space – withplanning permission for extensivefurther commercial developmenton the site.

Elaine Higgins (nee Harper),Finance Director of EdenbraceLimited, the family-ownedcompany behind the project,says that she is particularlydelighted, as completing this partof the project not only combinesconservation of historicengineering works with state-of-the-art hydro technology but alsorevitalises an area which hasbeen connected with the Harperfamily for generations.

“An earlier turbine was installed

by Gilkes in 1901 at a cost of£696”, she explained.“Amazingly, Gilkes still have theoriginal designs and invoice intheir records. It was eventuallydecommissioned by my father inthe early 1960’s. Now, withadvances in technology and theavailability of FiTs, it is once againeconomically viable to run themill on water power. So in 110years we have come full circle,although the new scheme hascost more than a thousand timesthe original! Since we aresituated in an area of SpecialScientific Interest, environmentalstandards required some heftyexpenditure, however, I don’tsuppose there are manybusiness parks populated withbats, owls and newts and wherethe occasional deer can be seenambling through the yard in theearly morning.”

The designers of the scheme areInter Hydro Technology of

Kendal, with on-site civilengineering and electrical worksbeing carried out by localcontractors. The 200kW Kaplanvertical shaft turbine was suppliedby Newmills Hydro TechnologyLtd of Carrickfergus and ispredicted to produce an annualaverage output of 750MWh -enough for about 200 UK homes.

Mrs Higgins went on to explainthat the scheme was only madeviable with the help of the currentgovernment subsidy on powergeneration in the form of theFeed-in-Tariff.

“I do hope the governmentunderstands exactly how greatthe impact of this subsidy hasbeen”, she commented. “We willnot receive a penny of supportuntil we start generating, but onthe basis of the promised future

income subsidy, we have alreadyspent well over £1 million on thedevelopment, all of which hasgone to British firms.

“British engineering and designare in the forefront of hydrotechnology worldwide, so thesubsidy not only encourages thegrowth of renewable energy butalso supports the growth of avaluable export industry andcreates employment, especially inthe North where it is sorelyneeded.”

Well known sculptor andbusinessman, Charles Hadcock,the director responsible for theday-to-day supervision of theproject and whose own RoachTissues paper business is locatedon site, said: “Of course, we hopeto make a financial return on ourinvestment, but it’s not just that,

Arrival of the turbine at Roach Mill

Supervisors Clare

Faulds, Elaine

Higgins and Camilla

Hadcock

Roach Mill bridge and weir

Continued on page 5 ▼

BHA Newsletter Iss 2 2011:Layout 1 21/6/11 12:58 Page 4

UK Commits to halvecarbon emissions by 2025The UKs Fourth Carbon Budget was unveiled by thegovernment in May, which places a legal obligation onthe country to achieve a 50% cut in carbon dioxideemissions covering the period 2023 and 2027 (comparedto 1990 levels). This will put the country on track for anemissions cut of 80% by 2050.

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it’s the whole idea of the fightagainst climate change, reducingreliance on imports and fossil fuelsand doing just that little bit for ourcommunity to be self-supporting.This has been a real team effort ofconsultants and contractorsworking with us – and every oneof the tenants on site hascontributed in some way.

“It has been a difficult andsometimes frustrating road to getthe project completed and withoutsheer determination, we wouldhave given up long ago. Thisturbine could well last for another110 years so we have all derivedtremendous satisfaction in havingset something down that willbenefit future generations longafter we have gone.”

World hydroelectricoutput grew by abelow-average 1.5%in 2009, but it wasstill sufficient tomake it the World’smost rapidly-growing major fuel!

Source: bp.com

Continued from page 4 ▼

Mr Hadcock commented thatSouth Ribble Council had beenparticularly helpful in the earlydays of planning the project andUnited Utilities had gone out oftheir way to overcome difficultiesin the connection to the nationalgrid, while Barclays havecontinued their financial supportdespite the sea changes in thelending market.

As the mill is only a few minutesdrive from the M6 at Junction 31and provides spectacular viewsover the surroundingcountryside, any businesslooking to improve its greencredentials could find the answerby taking space in these unusualand distinctive premises.

Edenbrace Ltd

This year Rheidol Hydroelectric scheme celebrates 50years of generating renewable energy.

Rheidol started operations 17th December 1961. Acting ManagerStuart Shaw has worked there for more than half that time, under fourdifferent owners. “When I started at Rheidol the station was owned andoperated by the CEGB. Following privatisation of the electricity supplyindustry in the early 1990s we became part of PowerGen, which isgenerally how we are known in the community. In 2003 the Germanutility E.ON bought PowerGen and since 1st January 2009 we areproud to be part of the Statkraft family, a Norwegian Energy companyand the largest generator from renewable sources in Europe” heexplains.

On Sunday 21st August there will be a ceremony for staff past andpresent to mark this anniversary year and the owners would like to getin touch with people who worked at Rheidol in the early days or evenon the construction in order to invite them to attend. Over fifty yearsmany people have worked on the scheme or as guides on the free bustours of the power station. Many are still in touch and attend the annualPensioners’ Christmas Dinner, but staff would like to contact more ex-employees as part of the celebrations.

A family Fun Day for staff, the local community and general public willfollow from 12pm. There will be traditional fun-day activities but they are

Aerial view of Nant-y-Moch Dam

50 years ofgeneration atRheidol

also hoping to promote renewable energy and engineering throughdifferent displays and games. The star attraction is a show on “TheMagic of Electricity” by Ian B Dunne (www.doscience.co.uk), a scienceperformer/educator, who will be making things fizz, glow and flythrough the air.

Statkraft Energy Ltd

Lake Benmore hydroelectric dam New Zealand


HYDRO DEVELOPMENTS….


HYDRO Developments in the UK

I S S U E 2 • 2 0 1 1 www.british-hydro.org8

One of the huge screws in manufacture in the Spaans factory

BHA Member Spaans Babcock is inthe process of installing two hugescrew generators within the boundaryof the Lake District National Park, atthe Southern end of Lake Windermere.The equipment is to be installed at thesite of a former gunpowder works inLow Wood, Haverthwaite and will usewater from the river Leven.

Each screw has a diameter of 3 metres, is 19metres long and weighs around 40 tonnes.They have a combined power output of over400 kW when operating at their full capacity of4,000 l/s each. This capacity and the head of7.2 metres make it one of the largestArchimedes screw hydro power stations in theWorld. The largest being Teesside which hasfour screws, generating a combined poweroutput of 520 kW – also supplied and installedby Spaans Babcock.

The system will be controlled by Spaans’ in-house developed integrated control system.This utilises ABB regenerative drives to achievemaximum output whilst keeping noise to aminimum. The projected annual power outputof the scheme is up to 1,946 MWh per annum,equivalent to the annual average energy usageof more than 400 family homes. As theelectricity generated is clean and green - thisequates to a saving in carbon dioxide (CO2)emissions of more than 1,000 tonnes.

Spaans Babcock is installing the equipment forLow Wood Products Company Ltd via projectmanagers RG Parkins. Spaans is responsiblefor the complete M&E package; including thesupply of control gates, electrical panels,

ScrewGeneratorsto powerIconicClockTower

interconnecting cabling, and all installation andcommissioning. The civil works are beingundertaken by JN Bentley, with whom Spaanshave partnered on numerous other hydroschemes.

Some of the power generated will be used to

power the Clock Tower, a Grade II listedbuilding at the site which is in the process ofbeing converted into environmentally friendlyoffice units. Surplus electricity will be sold tothe National Grid under the governmentsFeed-in-Tariff (FIT) scheme.

Spaans Babcock


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HYDRO DEVELOPMENTS in the UK continued….

River Derwent to powerCity Council BuildingWork will start this month on a hydro scheme at theLongbridge Weir on the River Derwent that will supplyelectricity for the city council, cutting the authority’s carbonemissions and earning it thousands of pounds a year.

The plans were first unveiled in 2006, and when it is finished thisNovember, it will provide enough electricity to power the equivalent of300 homes. It will also have the potential to generate an income of£137,000 by selling the surplus to the national grid and making savingsby not paying climate-change levies.

Water from the river will also be used to cool the air supplied to thecouncil building.

Source: thisisderbyshire.co.uk

River Tyne hydroat Hexham

Hydro scheme in WelshshowcavesThe National Showcaves Centre for Wales complex at Dan-yr-Ogof in the Upper Swansea Valley is to harness thepower of the underground river which runs beneath it.

The hydro scheme is to be developed in the River Llynfell, which flowsunderground for over 10 miles before reappearing at the cave entrance.

The cave water was last used to power a small hydro scheme to lightthe caves for tourists in the 1930s – the first time hydropower had beenused to light a cave. The new scheme, which will see a 75kW crossflowturbine installed, will make the Centre completely self-sufficient.

Source: walesonline.co.uk

First hydro scheme onRhondda Colliery SiteThe first micro-hydro scheme on a former Rhondda

Colliery site has been unveiled.

The scheme, which will provide electricity for 56 households, wasintroduced to the Cambrian County Park by CwmclydachCommunities First. Their application took seven years of planningand beat off competition from 500 other entrants all wanting tointroduce greener technology solutions to their areas.

Source: walesonline.co.uk

Plans to generate electricity to power all the houses in the townfrom the River Tyne in Northumberland have been unveiled and afeasibility study is being carried out by BHA member Inter HydroTechnology. Hexham Town Council is backing the initiative fromHexham Community Partnership and the environmental groupTransition Tynedale. Northumberland County Council has part-fundedthe feasibility study and if successful, the scheme would sell surpluspower to the grid bringing financial reward to stakeholders.

Source: journallive.co.uk

Appeal rejectedA proposed micro-hydro scheme at Westerton Wood at Dess,near Aboyne, Deeside, has been rejected. Planning officials saidthat the ecology would not be adversely affected, provided conditionson the construction method and other issues were met, and hadrecommended approval subject to conditions. But the application wasrejected 5-4 by councillors, claiming the turbine house, constructionaccess and connection would damage the beauty of the area.

Source: hydroworld.com

Lakeland hillside hometo hydro schemeAn idyllic Lakeland hillside could soon be home to a new100kW hydro scheme. Work on the project between BlackCombe and White Combe could be generating electricityby early next year. A bid to transform Baystone Bank Reservoir into

a green energy resource last year failed. In the new plans, a small

concrete weir would direct water into a 400mm, 1,050, long pipe

containing turbines to generate electricity for use on the farm, with any

surplus to be sold back to the National Grid.Source: nwemail.co.uk

The BHA would like to welcome thefollowing new members:• Black & Veatch (Company): Consulting engineers who design and

build hydropower systems.

• Highland Power Ltd (Company): Developer and consultantspecialising in small-scale run-of-river schemes between 100kw and2MW.

• Hydroventuri Ltd (Company): An innovative clean technologycompany with a unique core aeration technology.

• Lycetts (Company): Insurance brokers offering tailored insurancesolutions for renewable energy projects.

• North Wales Hydro Power Ltd (Company): Specialists in thedevelopment of hydro schemes with landowners.

• Radius Plus Ltd (Company): Pipeline manufacturer and installeroffering specialist services for pipelines.

• VerdErg Renewables Ltd (Company): Suppliers of spectralmarine energy converters (SMEC).

• Aaron & Partners LLP (Correspondent): Legal specialist servicesto the renewables industry.

• Edenbrace Ltd (Correspondent): Small generator with a 200kWscheme in Lancashire.

• Statkraft Energy Ltd (Correspondent): Generator, o.

• Transition Town Forres Ltd (Correspondent): Communityorganisation looking to develop a 29kW micro-hydro scheme.

• Andrew Sheath (Private).

NEW MEMBERS


iht in bha spotlight issue 2 2011

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