Hydroelectric Scheme Points to Wave of Future Investment

2nd Jan 2007

The Ards Peninsula's first micro hydroelectric scheme is set to kick into action next week. The Strangford Lough Wildfowlers and Conservation Association project has been built on a four-acre lake beside the Crawfordsburn Road in Newtownards. The 300,000 hydro turbine has a 56kW peak output and will generate around 88,000 units of electricity per year. It will be used to power the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry.

The scheme, which has received grant aid from Interreg, the Clear Skies scheme, Ards Borough Council and NIE, has received financial support of more than 150,000 from Ulster Bank.

Ulster Bank commercial manager, David Andrews, says that Northern Ireland's renewable energy industry will undoubtedly expand in the next few years.

"With the increasing local and global focus on reducing carbon emissions and on utilising alternative fuels, there is clearly very significant potential for the renewable energy sector to expand massively, with the likelihood of major future investment in hydroelectricity and continued investment in wind and other renewable energy technologies," he says.

"This is a landmark project which demonstrates the potential for organisations to use small-scale renewable energy technologies to meet their energy needs," he adds.

Ulster Bank provides structured finance for a range of renewable energy projects.

Robert Morrison, Development Officer for Strangford Lough Wildfowlers and Conservation Association said: "The hydro turbine will be utilising an existing four-acre lake, which was constructed in the late 1800s to service the local textile industry. The Hydro system has a 56kW peak output and the project feasibility study estimates it will generate around 88,000 units of electricity every year, saving approximately 51 tonnes of CO2. Income from the hydro will be invested into our 17 acre Glenvale Nature Reserve, to develop it into a Centre of Excellence for environmental education, so that it may be used by local schools and community groupings as an outdoor classroom.