A CHANCE to see green energy generated in the heart of a tourist hotspot coincided with the seventh anniversary of the official switch on of Saddleworth Community Hydro.
Thousands of visitors to Dovestone Reservoir probably don’t afford a second glance to a stone building at the foot of the dam and adjacent to the access road to the Greenfield beauty spot.
But since it opened in September 2014, the hydro turbine house has generated enough sustainable electricity to power hundreds of homes. And it continues to do so come low or high water in the reservoir above it.
It is the first system in the country to use an existing high head system to generate zero carbon electricity in a quiet, non-intrusive way. Around 150 tonnes of CO2 emissions are avoided per year.
The dam height of 31m allows the use of a cross flow turbine driven by the continuous supply of compensation water flowing from the reservoir into Chew Brook to generate up to 51 kW for the next 40 years or so.
An annual open day coincided in 2021 with Saddleworth’s contribution to the Great Big Green Week.
Hydro volunteers were in attendance to explain to visitors how electricity is produced, show them inside the turbine house and highlight an access to funding round for education and local environmentally friendly projects.
The Community Hydro scheme is owned and run by an industrial and provident society whose members want to reduce climate change. For information visit www.saddleworthhydro.co.uk or email enquiries@saddleworthhydro.co.uk
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