Wind Energy Proposal
Lillyhall Your Questions Answered
Why we need
Wind Energy Electricity is an essential part of our lives as a source of light and heat. Every time we turn on the kettle to make a hot drink or run a warm bath, we depend on there being a reliable supply of electricity to meet our demands. However, the bulk of the UK’s 80 Gigawatts (GW) of electricity generating capacity is currently provided by fossil fuel power stations. Burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil releases ‘greenhouse gases’ like carbon dioxide which contribute to climate change. Across the globe it is now widely recognised that we urgently need to tackle the causes of climate change. One way is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels for energy production by adopting cleaner power generation technologies. The UK has signed up to the EU Renewable Energy Directive which means that we now have the following targets to meet by 2020: • 15% of all energy generated in the UK to come from renewable sources • 30% of all electricity generated in the UK to come from renewable sources
For further information www.wrg.co.uk/wind
Wind power is a clean, established and renewable form of energy which produces no carbon dioxide while operating. As well as helping to combat climate change, replacing fossil fuels with renewable resources like wind power will help to secure our energy supply in the future. The UK is the windiest country in Europe, so harnessing the wind to produce clean and renewable energy is a good way of securing a reliable source of electricity for people in this country.
Why Lillyhall? The Lillyhall Landfill location was assessed for its suitability as a site for four wind turbines against a number of criteria, including: • available wind resource • available land • local planning policy • aviation • access and transport infrastructure • environmental impacts The initial results were encouraging, so WRG is now conducting a more detailed feasibility study and asking the community for their views about this proposal. Proposed site area for the four wind turbines at Lillyhall Landfill
What is being proposed? WRG is proposing to develop four wind turbines at its existing waste management facility near Workington, Cumbria.
Did you know?
The Lillyhall Wind Energy Project would prevent the release of up to 10,396 tonnes of CO2 per year, compared to fossil fuel energy generation* The Lillyhall wind turbines would each measure 93m to the tip of the blades at their highest point. The four turbines would be capable of generating up to 9.2MW of electricity, which is enough to power approximately 5,725 homes. They would have an operational lifetime of approximately 25 years, after which time they would be decommissioned and removed. The blades would be constructed of a composite material known as glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) and the towers would be made from steel. Each turbine would be delivered in sections and assembled on-site. The development would also require the addition of a control building and a small substation;
Photomontage showing how the proposed Lillyhall Wind Energy Project would look once constructed
which will allow the electricity generated from the four wind turbines to be fed into the local electricity distribution system. Both of these small buildings would connect to the turbines using underground cables. As part of the development process, WRG is carrying out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This will examine all the potential effects during construction, operation and decommissioning of the Lillyhall Wind Energy Project. Among the issues it will address are: visual impact, traffic and infrastructure, noise, and potential effects on local flora and fauna, including birds and bats.
Have your say The results from the EIA will be published in an Environmental Statement which, along with the submitted planning documents, will be made available for public viewing at Council offices and other locations to be announced. A copy of the Non-Technical Summary will be available to view on the WRG website: www.wrg.co.uk/wind You can comment on the proposals by contacting the Planning Officer at Allerdale Borough Council. Allerdale Borough Council will take into account the views of the community. They will also conduct a formal consultation with organisations such as the Environment Agency and Natural England before making a final decision. Typically, it takes around 16 weeks from the date of submission for a planning application to be determined.
*source: http://www.bwea.com/edu/calcs.html
Wind Energy: the Myths and the Facts* Myth: Wind turbines reduce nearby house prices.
so far as to say that “thermal plant breakdowns generally pose more of a threat to the stability of the electricity networks than the relatively benign variations in the output of wind plant”.
Fact: There is no clear relationship between the proximity of wind Lillyhall Wind Energy Project turbines and property prices.
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors conducted a survey in 2007 that looked at the potential impact of wind PHOTOMONTAGE turbines on house prices. It concluded that “proximity to a wind farm simply was not an issue”. Similar results have been found in Scotland and in the USA. VIEW SOUTH FROM PUBLIC FOOTPATH SOUTH EAST OF GALE HOUSE
Viewpoint Information Grid Reference
302944E 525497N
Nearest Visible Turbine
418m
Viewer Height
2m
Myth: Wind turbines are noisy. Included Angle
90°
Viewing Distance
500mm
Camera used was a Digital SLR focal length 50mm
Fact: Advances in wind turbine technology mean noise levels are difficult to detect or inaudible at distances to housing prescribed by planning guidelines. Location Plan
The government commissioned research into wind turbine noise in 2007 and surveyed all the local authorities in the UK where wind turbines were in operation. Of the 133 wind turbine sites operating at the time, only one has ever been found guilty of causing a nuisance to its nearest neighbours and that fault has been corrected. To put this into context, the same local authorities dealt with 39,508 cases of noise nuisance that year - none of which related to wind turbines.
Myth: Wind speeds vary, so wind turbines need ‘back up capacity’ from traditional energy sources. Fact: Reports have concluded that large amounts of wind energy capacity on the system need relatively small amounts of back up.
Three independent reports published in 2009 by the National Grid, energy company Poyry and a coalition of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) all reached this conclusion. In fact, the NGO report went
Myth: Wind power development uses more energy than it generates. Fact: Modern wind turbines pay back the energy used in manufacture within 2-10 months depending on the wind speed of the site and the type of turbine used.
Most wind turbines have a life expectancy of 20-25 years, so they will generate at least 24 times the energy used in their manufacture and installation. In addition, wind turbines generate electricity without generating carbon dioxide (CO2) or any other greenhouse gases and the fuel they use is free and will never run out. Currently, there is close to 4GW of installed wind energy capacity in Britain, s aving six million tonnes of coal per year. This means a CO2 emissions saving of over four million tonnes annually.
Myth: Wind energy developments rely on Government subsidies. Fact: The planning and construction of UK wind energy projects is financed entirely with private capital, no matter what the costs are.
Wind energy does not require Government money for any of its lifecycle, including decommissioning. Once a wind turbine is up and running and starts delivering energy to the grid, it qualifies for Renewable Energy Certificates (ROCs) for each megawatt of energy it produces. The ROC payments are fixed by the electricity market, not the Government, and provide a necessary incentive to encourage more investment in low-carbon technologies. All sources of renewable electricity qualify for ROCs.
Did you know?
The UK currently imports more than 50 per cent of the gas it uses from other countries.
*(www.bwea.com/pdf/briefings/top7myths-small.pdf)
WRG and wind energy WRG (Waste Recycling Group) is one of the UK’s largest environmental services companies, providing waste and resource management services to a wide range of public and private sector organisations. WRG is focused on delivering integrated waste management and energy recovery solutions to meet national, regional and local needs. As a result, the company is committed to helping the UK meet its renewable energy targets and reduce carbon emissions. As part of FCC, the international environmental services, infrastructure and energy group, WRG is able to call upon global expertise to ensure that the projects it delivers are of the highest quality and use the best available technology. WRG has been generating electricity from waste for a number of years. Currently, around 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity is generated at WRG’s operational and closed landfill sites across the UK, using the methane-rich
landfill gas that is generated naturally in landfills. This is enough to power approximately 200,000 homes. The company also recovers energy from the clean combustion of household and commercial waste at Energy from Waste (EfW) plants. Currently WRG operates 2 EfW’s in the UK, one of which exports energy in the form of electricity and one which exports energy in the form of steam. As an environmentally aware company, WRG is now looking at additional ways it can use its landholding to help generate renewable energy in the UK. Developing wind turbines on suitable landfill sites has been identified as the next logical step.
The UK has the best wind resources in Europe - and could meet at least 40 per cent of its electricity requirements through on- and off-shore wind power generation. WRG reviewed over 100 of the sites it owns to assess their potential for the development of wind energy. Their studies looked at such issues as available wind resource, grid connection and environmental impacts. WRG is now consulting the public to find out their views about the wind energy projects it is proposing. As a responsible company, WRG is committed to open and frank consultation with all its stakeholders.
We would like to keep you up-to-date with progress on our Wind Energy Projects. We will update www.wrg.co.uk/wind with the latest news. You can also contact us at:
Did you know?
The Lillyhall Wind Energy Project will produce enough electricity to power approximately 5,725 homes*
WRG c/o Proteus Public Relations 11 Manor Park, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX16 3TB info@proteuspr.co.uk T: 01295 279626 Published by Waste Recycling Group, Ground Floor West, 900 Pavilion Drive, Northampton Business Park, Northampton, NN4 7RG. www.wrg.co.uk Printed on 75% recycled content paper
*source: http://www.bwea.com/edu/calcs.html