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Barn Energy subsidiary Kirkthorpe Hydropower has been given the go-ahead by Wakefield Council to build Yorkshire’s largest ever low-head hydro-electric project on the River Calder.
The council granted permission to the £5.3 million scheme which is due to open later this year and will generate around 2.3 million units of carbon-free electricity per year with a single 500kW axial turbine.
Low-head hydro power projects use river current or tidal flows of 30 metres or less, and do not need to dam or retain water – minimising their impact on the environment.
Barn Energy and Yorkshire Hydropower chief executive Mark Simon said: “Yorkshire is leading the way with low-head hydro power in this country, and helping to drive a new wave of investment into the country’s infrastructure.
“We wish to build our next hydro scheme at the Brotherton Weir on the River Aire near Knottingley and close to the landmark Ferrybridge coal-fired power station; getting it built is however dependent on our efforts to secure grant or low-cost finance for the £6.5 million project.”
The development team will work closely with Wakefield Council, the Environment Agency, the Canal and River Trust as well as local angling groups to ensure that salmon, eels and other migratory fish will be able to pass the hydro scheme’s weir safely, protected by a large custom-designed inlet screen.
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