HUNDREDS of homes could benefit from power generated by the River Trent – thanks to a new hydro plant.
Construction of the facility at the Old Lock, next to Holme Lock and the weir at Holme Pierrepont, is about to get started.
Beneco Energy – the company behind the scheme – claims it could save several thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
Building work is due to start at the end of September after planning permission for the project was granted by Rushcliffe Borough Council.
The plans will see the disused Old Lock cleaned out and a turbine installed to harness the water power of the River Trent.
The plant will link up to a hydro-electric power station – due to be built on the north side of the river bank in July 2015 – and is expected to generate 3,000 MWh (megawatt hours) of electricity every year.
A statement submitted with the planning application by Tyler Parkes – the architecture firm for Beneco Energy – revealed the plans had been in the pipeline for more than seven years.
The firm admitted previous applications had been withdrawn because of concerns over fishing in the area, but after a number of changes, and a halving of the size of the hydro plant, all parties are ready to get spades in the ground.
A spokeswoman from Tyler Parkes said: "The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive sets a target for the UK to achieve 15 per cent of its energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020. Whilst the proposed scheme is relatively minor in terms of overall renewable energy potential, it will make a significant contribution."
The scheme will power up to 700 homes.
The power plant has received approval from a number of interested parties, including British Waterways, Trent River Police and Natural England.
PREPARATIONS are underway to build a new hydro-electric power plant on the River Trent at Holme Pierrepont, but there has been a long journey to get to this stage.
The old lock at Holme Lock, near the National Water Sports Centre, was built over 200 years ago in the 1790s.
Construction finished in 1800 as part of a raft of improvements to make the River Trent easier to navigate.
It has since been replaced with a newer lock on a section of canal next to the weir at Holme Pierrepont.
These new plans will see the old disused lock cleaned out. A turbine will then be installed, alongside a gearbox, generator and control panels and sluice gates, to convert the power of the River Trent running through the devices into energy, which could power up to 700 homes. The installation will link up to a hydro-electric power station – approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council to be built on the north side of the river in July 2015 – to distribute the power and save over 1,770 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.
But some boat owners in the area remain concerned about the move.
David Anderson, 48, of Bestwood, has a narrow boat moored at Holme Pierrepoint and said adding a new flow of water to the area could be "a recipe for disaster."
He said: "I have real safety concerns about it.
"We watch novice narrow-boaters coming to the lock which is designed as a stop and they can't handle it.
"If people are struggling with no flow, adding a flow to the area could cause serious problems."
But the power plant has received approval from a number of interested parties, including British Waterways, the Trent River Police and Natural England.
A spokesman for Natural England said: "The proposal is unlikely to affect any statutorily protected sites or landscapes."
However, it did call on the council to ensure no bats were roosting at the site, and if they were, to offer alternative places in the area for them to make their homes.
Richard Bennett, senior ecologist for the Canal and River Trust, also approved the scheme and Beneco, the company behind the plans, promised to undertake to replace any trees lost during the building.
He said: "It has my approval on the basis of providing a range of fruit trees which, while compensating for those trees removed to allow the construction phase, will also be of benefit to visitors."
And Renewable Design Consultants, who carried out a flood-risk survey, were also happy with the plans.
A spokesman said: "Various potential risks from flooding at the hydro scheme during construction and in its operation have been identified.
"Mitigation measures are suggested to reduce the risk to the turbine from flooding, including constructing a flood-proof powerhouse and installing pumps to evacuate any leaks.
"Overall, a hydro scheme of this size should not cause or be a significant flood risk at this large site."
The location of the development, situated in the old lock structure, means much of the hydro plant will be underground, so not visible.
There will be some plant enclosures above ground level, 1.13m high safety fencing, walkways and handrails.
There will also be a ventilator just above the level of the safety fencing and a rubbish removal crane and sluice gates will replace the existing concrete walls to the lock.
But a low hedge will be planted to improve the views from the Lock House – the only residence looking over the site. Planning permission was granted by Rushcliffe Borough Council in 2013.