FOREST OF BOWLAND AONB, SMALL SCALE HYDRO PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY Hydro Seminar, Clough Bottom Farm, July 2011 Calder Intake, Oakenclough
Dec 14, 2015
FOREST OF BOWLAND AONB, SMALL SCALE HYDRO PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDYHydro Seminar, Clough Bottom Farm, July 2011
Calder Intake, Oakenclough
INTRODUCTIONThe Forest of Bowland AONB has good hydro potential. There is a great deal of enthusiasm for hydro in the area, and local planners and the Environment Agency are broadly supportive of its development
We are grateful to the site owners, planners and the Environment Agency for their on-going help and support in carrying out this study.
Chipping Mill Abbeystead Spillway Higherford overspill
THE STAGE 1 SITESSummary
Power: maximum power that can be generated by the available water and head
Energy: the annual average energy over a year
Revenue: average amount of money generated (grid connection and FiTs)
Payback: the predicted cost of development divided by average revenue
This presentation does not include all the sites we assessed – just the schemes that we deemed feasible in principal (e.g. <50 year payback time).
Backsbottom Farm, Wray
Site 1 Waddow Hall, Clitheroe
Power: 260 kW
Energy: 800 MWh
Revenue: £112,000
Payback: 9 years
KEY POINTS
Low head, high flow
No depleted reach
Existing EA assets. Investigation and consultation with the EA is on going…
Site 2Roughlee Waterfall
Power: 15 kW
Energy: 60 MWh
Revenue: £12,480
Payback: 23 years
KEY POINTS
No depleted reach
Existing impassable weir
Close to residential property – potential noise issue
Site 3 Clough Bottom Farm
Power: 10 kW
Energy: 40 MWh
Revenue: £9160
Payback: 43 years
KEY POINTS
Land owner can complete the work himself more cheaply than the report states
Site 4 The Waterwheel, Chipping
Power: 6 kW
Energy: 20 MWh
Revenue: £4580
Payback: 6 years
KEY POINTS
Weir and other infrastructure exists
Just need to apply for permissions and install a generator
Site 5 Berry’s, Chipping
Power: 7 kW
Energy: 25 MWh
Revenue: £5611
Payback: 22 years
KEY POINTS
Good historical value
Infrastructure in situ
Opportunity for restoration
Investigations at this site are on going
Site 7 Abbeystead Reservoir
Power: 160 kW
Energy: 600 MWh
Revenue: £84,000
Payback: 3 years
KEY POINTS
Weir already in place, investigation into energy potential is on going!
Site 8 Whalley Weir
Power: 50-100 kW
Energy: 250-400 MWh
Revenue: £52K-80K
Payback: <18 years
KEY POINTS
Weir already in place
Supportive, active community
Investigation into potential is on going
Site 9 Primrose Lodge
Power: 9 kW
Energy: 33 MWh
Revenue: £7557
Payback: 22 years
KEY POINTS
Not commercially viable but long-term investment in self-sufficiency
Could provide energy for site as it develops
Site 10 Skerton Weir, Lancaster
Power: 120 kW
Energy: 600 MWh
Revenue: £84,000
Payback: 12 years
KEY POINTS
Weir already in place
High flow, low head, multiple turbines
Investigations into the potential at this site are on going
Site 11 Higherford Mill
Power: 25-30 kW
Energy: 100 MWh
Revenue: £20,800
Payback: 16 years
KEY POINTS
Long term renovation project of historical site well underway
Shared landownership and water rights ownership
Investigations are on going
Site 12 Hurst Green Bobbin Mill
Power: 6 kW
Energy: 20 MWh
Revenue: £4580
Payback: 27 years
KEY POINTS
Developer can build this scheme more cheaply than stated in report
Much of the infrastructure already in place
Site 13 Littlemoor Mill, Clitheroe
Power: 5 kW
Energy: 19 MWh
Revenue: £4351
Payback: 51 years
KEY POINTS
No depleted reach
Weir already present
Developer can build this scheme more cheaply than stated in report
Much of the infrastructure already in place
Site 14 Caton Low Mill
Power: 4 kW
Energy: 30 MWh
Revenue: £6870
Payback: 16 years
KEY POINTS
Small scheme
Work may need to be done to the mill race regardless – flooding uses
Site 16 Slaidburn Mill
Power: 15 kW
Energy: 54 MWh
Revenue: £11,232
Payback: 10 years
KEY POINTS
Infrastructure in situ but requires remedial works
Power can be consumed on site by estate workshop
Development can be completed by estate maintenance team
Site 17 Stonyhurst College
Power: ? kW
Energy: ? MWh
Revenue: £?
Payback: ? years
KEY POINTS
Very small scheme – not going to make a significant contribution to the college’s energy needs
Site 18 Castle Mill Farm,Quernmore
Power: 10 kW
Energy: 30 MWh
Revenue: £6870
Payback: 39 years
KEY POINTS
Can be built by landowner more cheaply than stated in report.
Infrastructure in situ
Historic site
Needs assessing by a millwright specialist
Site 22 Earby YH
Power: 4 kW
Energy: 15 MWh
Revenue: £3435
Payback: 74 years
KEY POINTS
Small scheme, very long payback, community keen
Site 24 Willow Mill, Caton
Power: 6 kW
Energy: 11 MWh
Revenue: £2519
Payback: 43 years
KEY POINTS
Very small scheme
Long payback
Site 25 Lappet Mill, Calder Vale
Power: 28 kW
Energy: 100 MWh
Revenue: £20,800
Payback: 11 years
KEY POINTS
Good pay back time
Relatively straightforward to develop
Much of existing structure still in operation
Site 28 Hougherfall Farm, Dutton
Power: 6 kW
Energy: 28 MWh
Revenue: £6412
Payback: 46 years
KEY POINTS
Small scheme, long payback
Landowner likely to be able to build cheaper than report states
Site 31 Gilberton Farm, Abbeystead
Power: 38 kW
Energy: 129 MWh
Revenue: £26,832
Payback: 13 years
KEY POINTS
Challenging pipe route
Much of the construction could be completed by local community e.g. farms
Site 32 Low Mill Fisheries
Power: <1 kW
Energy: 6 MWh
Revenue: £840
Payback: 20 years
KEY POINTS
Tiny scheme, no permissions required, proximal use for energy
Site 36 Holden Clough Weir
Power: 13 kW
Energy: 14 MWh
Revenue: £9504
Payback: 19 years
KEY POINTS
Good access
No depleted reach
Fairly straightforward to construct
Possible community scheme
Stage 1 results for the five sites chosen for further study
Site no and name Pay back time CO2 offset
Site 1 Waddow Hall 9 years 434 tonnes pa
Site 7 Abbeystead 3+ years 326 tonnes pa
Site 9 Primrose Lodge 22 years 18 tonnes pa
Site 11 Higherford Mill 16 years 54 tonnes pa
Site 10 Skerton Weir 12 years 326 tonnes pa