Brownfields go green with new wind power projects

Regeneration company Hayworth Estates has completed the installation of a 500KW wind turbine at a former surface mine in Derbyshire as the first of two new restoration projects to redevelop brownfield sites into low-carbon energy projects.


Energy from the new turbine at the former Arkwright surface mine near Chesterfield will be sold back to National Grid through the existing grid connection from the mining site. The turbine, which is now operating, generates sufficient energy to power around 1,000 local homes.

It is one of two renewable projects being developed in partnership with Energy Prospects Co-operative, which raises money to fund turbine installations through a public share offer with priority given to locals.

The second project will see another 500KW turbine installed at the former Shafton Two Gates colliery site in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, having received planning permission for the project last year. Work on the turbine has already commenced and completion is expected this summer.

The partnership is also in the process of putting planning applications together for a further two single turbine projects in Doncaster and North Yorkshire.

Harworth Estates’ Natural Resources division’s assistant management surveyor, Hannah Moxon, said: “These two projects demonstrate our expertise at transforming previously-developed land to support low-carbon energy projects. Funding through the share offer created a lot of local interest and support for the project. These wind turbines are an important part of Harworth’s commitment to the community and the environment.”

Renewable energy makeover

Hayworth Estates has already redeveloped a number of colliers into renewable projects including installing 30MW of solar generation across four former colliery sites in the North and Midlands last June. Hayworth has a dedicated national resources division which has 170MW of future low-carbon schemes in the planning pipeline.

Last year, edie reported on another two former collieries being given a renewable energy makeover with the construction of a new solar farm and a £200m energy centre together set to generate up to 43.5MW of electricity by Peel Environmental and Conergy.

Lucinda Dann

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