SADDLEWORTH Community Hydro is celebrating ten years of generating green energy as well as donating thousands of pounds to local groups and projects.
In 2014, the group’s design of an innovative cross flow turbine at Dove Stone Reservoir in Greenfield sparked into life – the first high head system in England to use an existing dam.
The dam height of 31m allows the turbine, driven by the continuous supply of compensation water from the reservoir into Chew Brook, to generate sustainable electricity.
Today, the group generates enough electricity to power about 100 homes via the national grid, with an annual saving of 170 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
And they have used profits of the sales to put many thousands of pounds worth of funding into local green projects, aiming to lower carbon emissions, fund biodiversity, combat climate change or promote repair and recycling.
As the group celebrates its decade anniversary on September 13, they are proud of their efforts to fight the climate emergency as well as help their local area.
Alison Brittle, chair of Saddleworth Hydro, said: “The Energy Crisis of 2022 enabled us to negotiate a very favourable two-year contract for the power which we sell.
“As a community benefit society, we have decided to prioritise our grants to projects which will do most to support those living in areas of deprivation in Oldham and surrounding areas, while continuing to award grants in Saddleworth
“It shows that a group of local people can actually do something to combat the climate emergency. We are not powerless or helpless!”
Funding for local projects has included Mahdlo Youth Zone’s holiday club where children learn to grow and cook food in raised beds, solar panels at Lees Eco Hub to power hydroponics in the polytunnels, teaching children about the rain cycle at The Vale in Mossley, and lighting at Dobcross Bowling Club.
- Find out more about Saddleworth Hydro on their website: www.saddleworthhydro.co.uk
Yet within sight of this project on the site of the old Fletchers Paper works there is a gigantic out of service wind generator with no vanes on it.