A David Wilson Homes development in Otley involves the rescue of a derelict paper mill and the installation of two Archimedean screws on the River Wharfe that should produce more than 1,000MWhr of electricity per year.
The hydroelectric facility will match its output to the flow of the river, first ensuring that enough water goes over the weir and down the two fish passes before using the surplus — up to a maximum flow rate of 13,500 litres per sec — to generate electricity.
The installation will be connected directly to the Garnett Wharfe housing development via a private grid and is rated at 350kW (175kW per screw). Its annual CO2 saving should be 450 tonnes.
The scheme includes a three-stage Larinier fish pass at one end of the weir that will ‘promote’ upstream migration, along with a baulk fish pass at the other end. The weir is currently an impassable barrier for most species of fish.
Work on this project began last November, and the electrical machinery should be commissioned in September.
Investment has been provided by the economic development loan fund of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership.