On walking the dogs along the canal, I am so aware of the force of the water running through the sluices. When we lived in the Lake District the river above us ran a turbine to supply Rydal Hall with plentiful electricity. Except in summer droughts – although not many in the Lakes!
I know it has been raised before but is it not time that the potential of a fall of 90 feet is utilised to generate power. Significantly the sluices run harder in the winter than summer. But winter is the time more energy is required. It was noticeable through December that most days were virtually windless.
Thus tapping the power of the Shroppie is a far better way to generate "green power" than an array of unsightly, dangerous to birds, wind farms. Needless to say it would once again put Audlem ahead of the game and bring added cudos to the community.
Audlem Online says: The Parish Plan team commissioned a survey four years ago by DerwentHydro, a company that specialises in small-scale hydro schemes.
That feasibility study concluded that the Audlem locks could generate around 175,000 kilowatt hours per year, enough to power 40 – 50 local homes – a typical property uses around 4,000kwh each year.
There were lengthy negotiations with British Waterways, and grant applications were submitted as the scheme was regarded as a strong one. The then Government also announced that £120m was to be put into BW hydro schemes.
However, last June, BW decided that there were too many physical risks to the canal and the Audlem team reluctantly accepted that they could not take on the entire risk of a canal breach which was the issue raised by BW.
In addition, it transpired that the £120m for schemes announced in March 2009 applied to BW river rather than canal schemes and that five such schemes would begin that month.
If anyone has news of those schemes, and the twenty others due to have started by now, please let us know."
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