Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

Long Hill Energy Ltd and its business partners have installed the first of what will be a series of turbines that generate high energy yield with low noise emissions from relatively low wind speeds. The inaugural project is at Long Hill Road near March in Cambridgeshire.

While it is now operational, Lady Mary Archer is to perform an official opening ceremony in early May. It is understood the turbine will generate enough power to supply local businesses – including Whitemoor Prison – with a substantial surplus going into the local electricity network.

The project cost is around £2m. The parent company is now talking to Lloyds TSB Corporate about the possibility of providing up to another four wind turbines.

The basic turbines – 2MW REpower machines – are made in Germany and imported. They are customised locally by specialist engineering firm Peter Brotherhood Ltd in Peter-borough.

Long Hill Energy Ltd is a joint venture between Snowmountain Enterprises Ltd, based in March, Cambridgeshire and Wind Direct Ltd.

Wind Direct managing director, Martin Adler, who has overseen the inaugural scheme said: “Both partners expect to be involved in several other renewables projects.

“Wind Direct has a portfolio of ‘build-own-operate’ projects delivering wind-generated electricity to industrial consumers – a concept that is becoming increasingly popular with high energy users.”

He anticipated payback on the £2m Long Hill Road project within seven years – outstanding for this type of venture.

“Lloyds TSB Corporate helped us with a letter of credit that enabled REpower to take the production, delivery and erection risk.

“The project is innovative – not just in terms of long rotor blades on the turbines that generate more power from relatively lower wind velocities – but also because it has been entirely financed privately with short-term contracts for energy and ROCs (Renewables Obligation Certificates which all the supply companies need to prove they are meeting the Government’s targets for renewable energy.

“This enables the project to increase the value of the electricity produced.”