Hydro Electric scheme

A Letter from Nantwich

Written in 2018 : Updated in April 2023

Hydro-electric scheme takes a new step

THE scheme to produce energy by utilising the power of the River Weaver has taken a further step towards completion, expanding what they are going to do.

The Nantwich Mill Community Energy Company are now planning to build two hydro turbines on the River Weaver in Nantwich. One will be on the Mill Island weir which they had initially planned, and there is now another further along the river near to Beam Bridge on the A51 road..

The plans also include solar panels which be placed on the roofs of business customers properties in town. These will provide energy to them at a discount, says the companies website.

Nantwich Mill Community Energy Company is described as a "not-for-profit community benefit company generating renewable energy".

They also say that they are investing in climate change action, cutting energy costs and delivering a positive funding feedback for the environment and community of Nantwich.

The project is supported "in principle" by Nantwich Town Council and Cheshire East Council.

The company is invited people to be involved who can offer expertise and business customs. They are looking for business sponsors and investors.

Anyone can buy "shares in the future", says the

website, adding that "community share experts are on board to manage a community share issue."

More information can be found on

www.sharenergy.coop

Publicity from the community energy company says big energy users have already signed up to get involved, including Reaseheath College and Engine of the North developer Carlton Holdings.

National renewable energy experts Locogen and Derwent Hydro, who have delivered similar projects across the UK, have been engaged by the community company.

www.locogen.com : : www.derwent-hydro.co.uk

THE IDEA FROM THE BEGINNING

BACK in 2018 I wrote the following:

"For the past 12 years at least - according to the various articles in "A Dabber's Nantwich" - there have been plans to construct a Nantwich Mill hydro-electric scheme in the Riverside, providing electricity for events on Mill Island.

I've been in favour of that since I first heard about plans for it. When it was just an idea, a hope for the future.

Now that has come a little closer with a group of six local people, the partners, launching a website appealing for promises totalling �220,000 to construct such a scheme.

In February 2006, in a Letter from Nantwich on this website, I wrote: "Now there is an idea of using the cascading water to drive a turbine to provide electricity in the area. Occasional events such as the Battle of Nantwich or Nantwich Food Fair (this is no longer held on Mill Island) could be provided with electricity from such a turbine.

"Yes, a generator could be provided with the same result, but this new idea would save having to use petrol (or whatever) to run the generator. Mother Nature would be the source of power.

"All far fetched? Let's wait and see. Such ideas have a habit of becoming reality."

Then, after Cheshire East Council were facing some cutbacks in February 2010, there came news of a new organisation that is now well established - Greenspaces South Cheshire.

At that time I wrote: "A Cheshire East Council spokesman was quoted by the Nantwich Chronicle as saying: 'The Nantwich Riverside Project was externally funded. This funding has now ceased and as a result the (hydro-electric) project has been concluded. Cheshire East Council will, however, continue the maintenance of the existing facilities."

"Hopefully, the new Greenspaces organisation will be able to bring the project to fruition."

THEN CAME THIS UPDATE

THINGS have changed a little since those early days, not least in that the mill race by Mill Island and the Waterlode will not be the location for the turbine.

Of course, it was never officially said that the mill race would be the chosen spot.

As the project website says: "Delivering clean green electricity, from an unobtrusive water turbine slotted into the weir on the River Weaver in the town centre, the project will power up the historic mill site contributing to the town's reputation as a thriving centre for food, culture and quality of life."

The weir links the river to what is now known as the Weir Pool (I have always called it The Willows). The website refers to it as The Tail Pool.

The new website says the Nantwich Mill hydro scheme "is all about tapping into the power of nature, generating funds for local action, while helping tackle the massive international challenge of cutting climate changing carbon emissions."

For more information visit the website:

www.nantwichhydromill.com

What will it cost and who will pay for it?

The project needs "hundreds of people, and local companies, to pledge their backing for the project.

"In the long run, we hope you will become shareholders committing seed-corn funding that will pay back benefits for the local community year after year."

The partners stress: "We don't want your money now - just your pledge." When the time comes an e-mail will be sent to potential donors who have made pledges.

What will the project look like? The website has illustrations of the turbine (that's one above) which has an Archimedes' screw in it, and a sketch superimposed on a picture of the weir area.

Who would support the project? There are links to similarly-minded local organisations: Nantwich Civic Society, the Rotary Club of Nantwich, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Greenspaces South Cheshire CIC, and the South Cheshire Friends of the Earth.

The tail pool, aka the Weir Pool or The Willows. The turbine will be sited on the right of the weir, in the shade in this image.

The quoted paragraphs in this article were taken from the website of Nantwich Mill Hydro Generation Ltd, edited and comments added by me.

The picture of the turbine (left) is the copyright of Carter Jonas 2016. Again from the website.

Other pictures are the copyright of this website.

Who are the partners?

Behind the project are

Sir Jonathon Porritt CBE is a chartered engineer and Co-Founder of the Forum for the Future, a world-wide organisation.

Jeremy Herbert, a Nantwich resident since the early 1990s, he is "committed to the town and its quality of life." He is a founder member of South Cheshire Friends of the Earth.

Mark Schofield is a Nantwich businessman. Born in Nantwich, he is a director of the family business with extensive property interests, and has won accolades for

restoring listed buildings in the town

Nick Hall is a retired engineer. He worked in the defence and aerospace industries. He is interested

in the country's industrial heritage and promoting engineering to the younger generation.

Doug Butterill "is a force of nature. If you see a green space in Nantwich he is likely to have planted it." The former Chairman of Nantwich in Bloom, Doug is Company Secretary of Greenspaces South Cheshire CIC. He is a former Councillor on Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council and a former Mayor of Nantwich. "Says he is retired but you would never know it."

Nick Timperley, "the Mill's financial brain," is a retired chartered engineer, spending most of his career in the property industry. He is a founder member, a past president of the Rotary Club of Crewe and Nantwich Weaver.

The Chairman of the Partners is Stephen Welch. A director and chartered building surveyor and chartered building engineer, he is on the board of Byrom Clark Roberts, a multi-disciplinary practice specialising in architecture, building surveying, civil and structural engineering, and expert witness work.

There are three more partners - more about them shortly: James Thompson, Paul O'Brien and internationally renowned singer and songwriter, Thea Gilman, a Nantwich resident.

The former Chairman of Nantwich Mill Hydro Generation Ltd was the late Fred Bowers.

In his days, there was a plan for 79 houses to be powered by the Nantwich Mill hydro project.

He also gained fame with the annual Weaver Wander driving event organised by the Rotary Club of Crewe and Nantwich Weaver.