England is moving towards building its biggest wind turbine. It is a 150-meter structure that is taller than the other turbines already in Avonmouth, Bristol.
It is estimated that approximately 100 tonnes of steel and 1,000 tonnes of concrete will be required to build it.
According to the project development manager, David Tudgey, the turbine would be a “real testament of hope for the future”.
It is slated for function in spring and is expected to provide low-carbon electricity to 3,500 homes. This will conserve around 1,965 tonnes of CO2 per year.
The turbine is a project of a community group Ambition Community Energy. The planning permission was provided by North Somerset Council in 2020.
Only a few onshore wind turbines were approved since new planning laws came in 2016. This project is one of them.
Charles Gamble, from Ambition Community Energy, said it was “quite a difficult site” because of the turbine’s size.
“Size does make a difference,” he said. “It generates a lot more electricity if it is bigger and higher.
“And the constraints around this area are very substantial,” he added.
The turbine will be fixed next to a gas-fired power plant and will produce clean and cost-efficient electricity.
Wind energy expert Andrew Garrad said: “There has been a hugely dramatic reduction in cost in wind turbines in the last couple of decades and they are now the cheapest in cash terms as well as being clean and quick.
“So it’s a slam dunk. Why wouldn’t we be doing it?”