News
Goonhilly 'Repower' - Nearly Four Times Present output can be Generated by Six Turbines
Cornwall Light & Power today (Nov 23) announced further details about its £20 million project to 'repower' Goonhilly Wind Farm on The Lizard.
Following consultations with a number of stakeholders, including Natural England, Defence Estates (representing the interests of RNAS Culdrose), the Cornwall AONB Partnership and Kerrier District Council, the plan is now to replace the 14 existing wind turbines with just six, and to produce emissions-free electricity for nearly four times the number of households.
Each of the original turbines, which have operated successfully at Goonhilly since 1993, has a capacity of up to 400 kilowatts. This currently gives the wind farm a capacity of 5.6 Megawatts (MW) and an average annual output of 11,000 Megawatt hours (MWhr), equivalent to the consumption of about 2,000 Kerrier homes.
The six new turbines will each have a capacity of up to 2.5 MW, giving a total capacity of 15 MW and an average annual output of just over 42,500 MWhr, equivalent to the consumption of over 7,700 Kerrier homes.
The new turbines would have a hub height of up to 67 metres, a tip height of up to 107 metres and would revolve at between 10 and 20 revolutions per minute compared with 35 revolutions per minute with the existing turbines.
Cornwall Light & Power first announced plans to 'repower' Goonhilly in September when an Open Day was held at the wind farm.
The latest plans were made available to the public at Open Days at Cury Village Hall on Friday and Saturday (Nov 23 and 24).
Neil Harris, Chief Executive of Cornwall Light & Power, said: "When we first announced this project we had plenty of work to do on design and layout, and it was most important that we tackled it in partnership with key stakeholders so that their needs could be taken fully into account.
"We were much encouraged with the initial response from local residents who came to the wind farm in September. They were almost unanimously in support of the outline plan.
"Ninety-four per cent of them were concerned about climate change and its impact, and supported the Lizard reducing its dependency on imported electricity generated from fossil fuel and nuclear power.
"Ninety per cent supported the idea of increasing Goonhilly's output by having fewer, larger turbines."
"We have spent the last 10 weeks progressing our plans in partnership with key stakeholders, and we are delighted to have reached the point at which we can present our preferred scheme to the public."
The design now mimics the existing wind farm with a layout of geometric rows and use of existing site tracks.
Where possible the turbines will be erected on the same positions as their predecessors, and Cornwall Light & Power hopes to recycle the existing turbines by reconditioning them and putting them to work elsewhere.
"A formal planning application could be submitted in about a month's time, and we will keep the community fully informed as we reach each significant stage," added Neil.
"If the project went into planning by the end of this year it could be constructed and operational during 2009."
It is vital that everyone with an interest in Goonhilly wind farm has an opportunity to make their views known on this important project.
For those who were not able to attend the Open Days, printed questionnaires are available from Cornwall Light & Power at Monument House, 58 Coinagehall Street, Helston (Tel 01326 572720).