Hydro plant still working
MBTC-14-03-13- Bedford Archimedean Screw Turbine. Bedford.
A hydro power facility, which some claimed was out of order is still going strong according to council chiefs.
Last week some residents claimed that station, which is on the south side of the River Great Ouse was not working, and that work was being done at the site.
But Charles Royden, portfolio holder for the environment at Borough Hall said that the turbines were still in action, and the works were to repair lighting along that side of the river.
He said: “It was nothing to do with the power station, it was to do with the lighting on the south side of the river. “Just this weekend alone the power station produced 2,000 kilowatts of power.”
And although Mr Royden admitted that the station does not work at times due to water levels, he claimed that it is well on the way to creating sustainable power to help save taxpayers money.
He said: “It’s a phenomenal success, not just in the fact that it is producing power and money for taxpayers, but the fact that people are coming to look at it from other places to do their own schemes.
“We’ve built something beautiful on the river where there was just a derelict boat slide.”
The hydro power station only works when there is a drop in water levels between the top river and the lower channel which passes by Bedford Girls School. If the river levels rise, because of significant rain, water doesn’t run over the weir and the power plant doesn’t work.
Bedford Borough Council unveiled the power station in July 2012. It is expected to produce 168,000 kilowatt hours of energy every year, saving taxpayers £32,000 and 70,000 kilograms of CO2 per year.
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Monday 20 May 2013
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