Listen to this article here
|
Around 2,000 small wind turbines are set to fitted across Greater Manchester in a bid to help the city-region achieve its net zero targets.
The plan is one of the first sustainable energy solutions to emerge from the newly created Energy Innovation Agency (EIA).
The project will be delivered through a partnership between Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), EIA and inward investment agency MIDAS, working alongside renewable energy manufacturer Alpha 311. Plans will see 2,000 smaller units installed across the city-region, placed on buildings and lampposts as well as powered by air movements of passing vehicles on Greater Manchester’s roads.
The units, smaller and lighter than traditional turbines, can be used alongside roads and on bridges, buildings and towers to generate energy, with even small plots capable of hosting wind farms. Similar turbines are already installed and generating electricity next to London’s O2 Arena.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:
“I’m delighted to see this partnership with Alpha 311 come to fruition and I’m looking forward to seeing these innovative wind turbines on Greater Manchester’s lamp posts and buildings in the near future.
“The switch to net-zero carbon can, and should, be something that offers a fairer future, as well as a greener one. Not only will this partnership see us generate more low-carbon energy locally, but it will also support the creation of 200 new jobs in Greater Manchester with green skills developed here, and – crucially – provide more affordable energy to people at a time when they need it most.”
Alpha 311 CEO and co-founder, Barry Thompson, said:
“We’re very excited to be working with GMCA in deploying the Alpha 311 turbines around even more of the UK. We’re eager to not only bring an innovative product to the region for the benefit of local communities and businesses, but we’re also excited about the potential local employment opportunities our combined projects will offer.”
David Schiele, Director for the Energy Innovation Agency, said:
“Working with Alpha 311 we’ve been able to find a local solution to generating clean energy, supporting Greater Manchester’s 2038 carbon-neutral target. This collaboration shows really clearly how the Energy Innovation Agency can work with businesses to bring clean, renewable, and innovative products to market to benefit local communities. This partnership is about growth in green technologies, growth in the burgeoning green manufacturing skills sector, and above all growth in the carbon neutral economy.”
The installation is set to follow a pilot trial in Telford, where turbines will be used to power street lighting, with surplus energy sent back to the National Grid. It is hoped that installing wind power in Greater Manchester will help generate the clean energy needed for the city-region to hit its 2038 net-zero target, as well as create new, green jobs for residents.
The Energy Innovation Agency is also seeking innovations to help commercial buildings move to low-carbon heating by 2040, as part of its Decarbonisation of Heat Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and submit ideas via the EIA website.