Renewing the renewables...
Plans are afoot to replace the wind turbine at the Eco Centre
ACOMPANY is hoping to build a replacement wind turbine in Southport that could bring in £1.6m for the community.
Net Zero Liverpool is hoping to replace the wind turbine currently at the Eco Centre in Southport with one that could run the Splashworld/Dunes on Esplanade.
The proposals have been set up by a local non-for-profit company in the hope that surveys come back positive and a planning application can be submitted to Sefton Council - although it will be at least two years before a planning application is submitted.
Ed Gommon, of Net Zero Liverpool, said: “The point that needs to be clear is that it is just a feasibility study and no planning application has been submitted or indeed will be submitted for at least two years. We need to do two years of bird surveys before we can submit a planning application.
“We want to use that time to do much more community engagement and make sure we get people’s views on the proposal and hopefully persuade those who have objections or mitigate whatever those objections are.
“That being said, the proposal for the wind turbine replacement covered in this feasibility study (the technical work was carried out by Sharenergy, we commissioned them to do the work) demonstrates that a 1MW turbine could go a long way to powering the Dunes/ Splashworld if they switched their heating system to heat-pumps (ie got off gas and went electric).
“The proposal is to set up a locally owned, not-for-profit community energy company, in the form of a community benefit society.
“In that way, any profits (we call them surpluses) made in producing and selling the electricity would be retained by the society and used for the benefit of the community, ie running fuel poverty projects, supporting the lifeboat, or whatever it is that the people of Southport decided were their priorities. The 1 MW turbine could generate £1.6 million of surplus for a community benefit fund over 20 years.
“We did everything we could to consult as widely as possible, but lots of it had to be done online due to pandemic restrictions. We got 197 responses to an online survey, 60 of which
ED GOMMON, OF NET ZERO LIVERPOOL were from students at Meols Cop high school.
“95% of those who responded are in favour of renewable energy in general and 92% were in favour of the specific proposal to replace the wind turbine at the eco-centre.
“We’re in a climate emergency, Sefton Council has declared a climate emergency and wants to get to net-zero by 2030. Renewable energy will be a central part of how that is achieved.”
In a report published on Sefton Council’s website, it said: “Work on the Low carbon Community Energy fund, (Net Zero LCR and NW Energy Hib) to fund a consultation & feasibility study for wind power/ground source heat at Southport (to feed Eco Centre and Dunes) with community benefits from ownership of the asset is progressing well.
“Phase 1 feasibility is complete with a report due shortly and a bid will be submitted for Stage 2 feasibility in Feb/March 2022. A presentation to members would be wel
‘The point that needs to be clear is that it is just a feasibility study and no planning application has been submitted or indeed will be submitted for at least two years’