Residents of Culham and Sutton Courtney look likely to be successful in being allowed to generate electricity from the River Thames at Sutton Pools.
The Abingdon Hydro project did not go ahead a year ago because quotes for building the hydro came in well above the budgeted figures, and time was running to start generating electricity in time to get a preferential tariff from central government. As a result the local people who invested in the scheme got most of their money back.
Looking at the almost complete Culham / Sutton Courteney project you can see they have been allowed to put three turbines in a far more central position as part of the existing weir (Abingdon Hydro were allowed two turbines at the side).
The Culham project also has better access with a temporary road across the fields; and behind the project is a local professional company, Hallidays Hydropower, based in Dorchester-on-Thames, who have undertaken other projects since being set up in 2007.
The fish pass also looks far simpler than the one designed for the Abingdon Hydro where less room was allowed.
It’s an excellent piece of engineering; I visit most weeks on my way to Sutton Courtenay.
That’s the product of well funded private initiatives PPJS, I hear it’s the Morrels family (ex brewing business) behind it?
BTW, re your post on a previous thread about Abingdons traffic, I believe I do have some very real solutions. To most of the problems, just depends how much backstreeter will allow me the space?
Captain: You could send me your thoughts via Training Officer on http://www.roadartvg.org.uk
Happy Christmas
Will do
AbingdonFirst would be interested in those thoughts and ideas about traffic solutions too, if you didn’t mind sharing on there? Just send an email to the contact address
Great project. It would be wonderful to have insight into how it works internally, a display on the wall showing stats, energy generated today, at this very moment, speed of water, how many houses could be powered by that etc. Even on a website to have live view of energy generated, turbine speed etc would be wonderful for children education and numerous projects!