Hydro-electricity schemes

News

British Waterways has inked an agreement with The Small Hydro Company to generate 210,000 MWhours of renewable energy per year from its 2,200 mile waterway network.

British Waterways has inked an agreement with The Small Hydro Company to generate 210,000 MWhours of renewable energy per year from its 2,200-mile waterway network.

The initiative will invest around £120m of private capital over the next three years to develop approximately 25 small-scale hydro-electricity schemes generating enough power for around 40,000 homes.

Backed by Climate Change Capital’s Ventus Fund, the process of gaining consents for the first five hydro schemes alongside river weirs will begin later this month.

The partnership with The Small Hydro Company follows British Waterways’ announcement in October 2008 of an agreement with Partnerships for Renewables to bring forward wind turbines on canal-side land over the next five years.

Income that British Waterways generates from both initiatives will be reinvested towards maintaining the nation’s historic waterways.

Energy and climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, said: 'By committing to build small hydro power stations and wind turbines, British Waterways is playing an important role in generating renewable energy from the UK’s natural resources.'

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.  

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address