News / Bristol Energy Cooperative
Funding secured for Bristol’s first hydro-electric generator
The roaring sound of water cascading over the rocks at Netham Weir drowns out the rain on a wet Friday morning.
Running between Feeder Road and Whitby Road in St Anne’s, the easily-overlooked patch just off the back of an industrial estate is earmarked as the site for the city’s first community-owned hydro-electric generator.
Work on the ambitious £2.4m project can now go ahead after Bristol Energy Cooperative secured £1.4m through a community share offer, along with match funding from the European Regional Development Fund.
Visiting the site with Bristol24/7, the organisation’s co-director Andy O’Brien, says the momentum for green schemes seems to be building across the UK but it is still a daunting undertaking such a large fundraising bid.
“We’re delighted our grant has been approved – it’s been a long process. But now we can push on with remaining development work and start work on construction contracts,” says Andy.
The micro-hydro power station will use the natural force of the water falling across the weir to spin twin turbines, which will produce enough energy to power some 250 homes.
It will run night and day throughout the year, with peak output in winter; a time when electricity demand is at its highest.
This ambitious project by Bristol Energy Cooperative is only one of several across the city, with plans also underway to install the UK’s first net-zero domestic housing microgrid.
The group also install rooftop solar panels and have two solar farms, in Lawrence Weston and Somerset.
The Government has pledged £350m to help fuel a green economic recovery and created a task force to support the creation of new green jobs.
Speaking about the latest impetus towards building back better, Andy is hopeful. “It always takes time to get going and build momentum and it feels like we’ve got to that momentum stage now,” he says.
“We are hearing a lot about build back better and when you look at the research, the public genuinely seems to want this to include green initiatives as a big part of this.”
The £2m community share offer remains open until March 31 2021.
Bristol Energy Cooperative is hosting a live webinar and Q&A session on Thursday, February 18 about the projects and opportunity to invest. Sign up via www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/invest-in-clean-community-owned-energy-registration-137559220331?aff=socialtwitter.
Read more: £2m share-offer to fund Bristol’s first hydro-electric generator
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