Bristol City Council has installed two 2.5MW Nordex N100 wind turbines to create the UK’s first council owned wind farm. Located at a former oil tanker site in Avonmouth, the turbines will generate over 14,000MWh of power per year – the equivalent to the average annual electricity needs of more than 2,500 UK households – once it begins full operation in November.

3 October 2013 – The UK’s first council-owned wind farm is set to generate eco-friendly electricity from November following the installation of its two turbines at Bristol’s Avonmouth Port area.

The Bristol City Council project is the realisation of many years planning and is set to become the council’s largest single supplier of renewable energy.

Located just off Severn Road in Avonmouth, a former oil tanker site which was deserted in the late 1970s has been transformed by six months of construction, giving it a new lease of life as this unique council-owned renewable energy source.

It now contains two 2.5 MW Nordex N100 wind turbines, which are predicted to generate over 14,000 Megawatt hours (MWh) of power per year – the equivalent to the average annual electricity use of over 2,500 UK households.

It will be operated by Nordex UK Limited on a 15-year operation and maintenance agreement with the council, with the power contributing directly to the local grid.

At the time when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has given its strongest warning yet, it’s expected to reduce the city’s annual carbon footprint by approximately 5,000 tonnes each year whilst generating income of up to £200,000 for the council annually by selling power to the grid and receiving money from other funding sources such as special ‘feed in’ energy tariffs.

The turbines will be fully tested throughout October before the scheme comes into full operation in November.

The wind farm is the latest in a growing list of green energy projects being developed by the council as it develops an international reputation for excellent environmental initiatives.

For further information, please visit www.bristol.gov.uk/page/environment/avonmouth-wind-turbines-project#jump-link-1