27.09.12
Wind turbine to increase environmental efficiency of railway station
The largest wind turbine of its kind has been switched on at Horwich Parkway railway station. The turbine is the largest in terms of scale and potential power generation to be installed at any train station in England.
Half the station’s power needs are now supplied by the 11 kilowatt high efficiency turbine, which is set to cut carbon emissions by 289 tonnes over its lifetime. The turbine will deliver electricity directly to the station and any surplus energy produced will be directed back to the National Grid.
The turbine is apart of a European initiative to reduce carbon emissions in public transport, funded by the European Union’s INTERREG IVB programme, Bolton Council, Northwest Regional Development Agency and TfGM.
The turbine was installed by Myriad CEG Wind.
Bolton Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Cllr David Chadwick, said: “This station is the first in England to be powered by a wind turbine like this and we’re proud to be leading the way in Bolton. The council is committed to making reductions in its CO2 emissions from energy and transport and this innovative scheme saves money and is good for the environment.”
Chair of the TfGM committee Cllr Fender said: “Horwich Parkway provided the perfect opportunity for this project – it’s the only railway station we own and it has a consistently good wind speed to take advantage of. So I’m delighted we’ve been able to work with our partners at Bolton Council and INTERREG to deliver this turbine.
“It’s another important milestone on our journey to making public transport even more environmentally friendly and reducing our own carbon emissions.”
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