The largest low head run-of-river hydro project to be commissioned in England since 2000 has been officially opened in Yorkshire, although the project developer has warned that it could be the last scheme it builds in the UK following changes in government policy.
The 500kW Knottingley scheme – which will generate renewable electricity for a flour mill and the local electricity grid – was developed by Barn Energy, a privately-owned renewable energy project developer. The £7½m plant was completed on time (a 15-month build) and on budget.
Harnessing the flow of the River Aire, Knottingley is the third river hydro scheme that Barn Energy has built in Yorkshire over the past three years. Its Kirkthorpe scheme on the River Calder near Wakefield opened earlier this year, and its Thrybergh scheme, on the River Don near Rotherham, opened in 2015.
More than 100 people worked on the Knottingley project, many of whom working for companies based in Yorkshire and the north of England. Yorkshire’s ANF Consulting and JNP Group designed the project, whilst Eric Wright Civil Engineering, part of the Eric Wright Group, was the main civil engineering contractor.
In developing Knottingley, Barn Energy and the project team worked closely with the Environment Agency and the Canal & River Trust (the scheme abstracts water from the Canal & River Trust’s Aire & Calder Navigation) to ensure that there were no detrimental impacts from the project. The Canal & River Trust, the charity which cares for 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales, is a supporter of the project.
A major part of the project is a custom-designed fish passage and steel screen which will help salmon, eels and other migratory fish to safely navigate the weir for the first time in centuries. The fish passage cost £2m and was manufactured in Yorkshire.
“Knottingley is our third significant and long-term investment in Yorkshire’s energy infrastructure and is providing secure and sustainable energy to a local flour mill and the local grid,” commented Mark Simon, Chief Executive of Barn Energy. “The economic and environmental benefits that river hydro offers, and the goodwill shown towards this type of clean energy generation, are clear to see.
“However, given changes in government policy, and despite its Clean Growth Strategy that was published last month, it’s very likely that Knottingley will be the last scheme that we build in Yorkshire and possibly in the UK. Infrastructure projects of this kind, which have abundant environmental benefits, need the public sector involved to help access low-cost, long-term finance.”
