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