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22 March 2019
Shoreham Port’s two 100 kilowatt wind turbines have reached their first gigawatt hour of wind energy within the last week. The turbines, named Spinny and Gusty by local school children, reached their first gigawatt hour on Saturday 16th March, 1011 days since they began generating electricity in the summer of 2016.
One gigawatt hour is equal to 1,000,000 kilowatts of electricity generated continuously for one hour and that would show on a domestic electricity bill as 1 million Units of electricity. That’s enough electricity to keep over 100 average homes running continuously or to boil over three million kettles!
Found on the seaward side of the Outer Lay-by Terminal off Basin Road South, the turbines produce clean, renewable energy, and are capable of generating on average 550,000kWh of electricity per year. They provide electricity directly to the Pump House where the biggest single users of electricity on the Port are found – the giant 185 kilowatt impounding pumps. The pumps are critical to Port operations, as they are used at various times of the day and night to replenish the water lost to the sea when the lock gates are opened.
The two turbines each comprise of a three-bladed rotor, 22m in diameter, supported by a 24.5m tubular monopole, making the overall height to the tip 35.5 metres. This compares with the 30 metre high lighting towers and the 106 metre high power station chimney nearby on the Port.
As an Eco-Port, Shoreham Port continuously assesses its environmental impact and develops strategies to anticipate and respond to environmental challenges, including climate change, air quality and energy conservation as well as noise, waste, and water management. Wind energy forms part of the Port’s wider energy strategy, in which solar power is also playing an important role. Working closely with our local authorities and community, the Port aims to work towards reducing the use of fossil fuels and to continue to increase the generation of green energy for years to come.
Tony Parker, Director of Infrastructure and Climate Change commented “Mankind has to address the causes of global warming and we have to do it now if we are to prevent massive hardship falling on future generations. On a local level, Shoreham Port intends to play the fullest part possible in reducing the production of green-house gases and our turbines are going a long way towards that goal.”
Brian Rousell, Director of Engineering commented “The wind turbines, together with the solar panels on Port buildings, are already helping to reduce carbon released into the atmosphere by nearly 5,000 tonnes every year. Keeping the canal basin topped up is critical to the safe operation of our locks for commercial and leisure vessels. It’s great to know that our powerful electric pumps are using green energy generated right here on site.”
Category: Sustainability
