24 September 2021
The current discussion whether the Royal Pier in Southampton can be salvaged or redeveloped has actually been an ongoing discussion within the Green Party for over a decade.
Now that the council is again stuck for ideas on how to progress in making the Royal Pier part of the City's access to the waterfront, the party is proposing that the Council at least commission a physical safeguarding assessment for a wind turbine having a blade tip at 248m high and sited near the end of the Royal Pier.
Around 2009 the party proposed a large wind turbine with a viewing platform at the junctions of the Itchen and Test rivers, with an outline on how the initial investment could be recouped from the electricity generated and by charging visitors a fee to go to the top where a large viewing platform would be sited.
Towering over the port of Rotterdam there is a wind turbine (GE Haliade-X) the height of the Eiffel tower and the largest working turbine in the world. Even Lowestoft on the East coast of the UK has a large turbine around 300m distance from the ports police station.
Once all site assessments have been completed, an off shore wind turbine could be installed in a couple of months with the option of adding a viewing platform in the future.
Spokesperson John Spottiswoode who recalls the Party's effort to bring a functioning large wind turbine into the city said,
'For decades we have had a duty to show future generations we have made every effort to tackle the climate crises. What better opportunity is there, ahead of the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, for Southampton to announce the intention to investigate the real possibility of having our own large wind turbine?'
End.
Notes and links.
Average wind speed around Southampton water varies from season to season but at 150m height where the wind speeds should average 7m/s in summer, a 12MW turbine could produce enough power for over 20,000 houses, while the turbine is operating with fair wind conditions.
Haliade 12MW turbine supplied with a helicopter deck on top of the gear and controllers.
Cost of 12MW turbine estimate £7.5m, due to the close proximity an interconnector can be plugged into the national grid, connection costs can be kept low.
Modern turbines are twice as efficient as older and smaller turbines.
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