As reported recently, the Community Heat & Wind Network project received planning permission in June for a 900kW turbine to be installed at the site west of the Conery just off the B4385 to Lydbury North. Many thanks to all who helped with getting the planning permission, including Councillor Ruth Houghton and the BC Town Council.  Planning rules mean we now have three years to begin the installation work.

The turbine should produce around 2,200 MWh of electricity per year (this is the typical electricity use of 700 homes), and over its 30-year life will be very cost-effective. It will be called the ‘Twist’ turbine in memory of Dennis Twist and his long involvement with environmental activities in Bishop’s Castle and Clun. That’s the good news.  Regrettably, recent developments in politics, energy markets, and local user needs have impacted the economics of the other half of the project: the Heat Network, which is the piped-heat-delivery system.

These include:-

• oil price stagnation, putting a cap on the price we could charge for heat,

• halving of the government’s Green Heat Network Funding,

• substantial increase in build costs,

• the grant received by SpArC for an air-source heat pump removes a key customer for the heat and site for the Energy Centre. 

Coming at the end of four years during which a great deal of work has been invested in the project, these factors are very disappointing, since they mean that the Heat Network part of the business case is not viable at the moment. This decision has not been taken lightly, and we will be monitoring the situation to see if and when the circumstances change and make the network viable again.

Nevertheless, we still have the opportunity to go ahead with the Wind Turbine. This is a significant achievement since it is the only community-owned Wind Turbine to get planning permission in England in the last year. The turbine will be an important Community asset and will help with local and national energy resilience, and that is where the team will be focussing their energy for the next few years.

The next steps will be to explore options for supplying electricity to homes and businesses, raise the capital required and continue the process of getting connection to the grid.

For further details contact Dave Green