Group's bid to use water to power nearby firms

A community group in Derby wants to install a specialist turbine using a river's energy to power nearby businesses.

Darley Community Energy (DCE) is trying to secure funds for an Archimedes screw - a type of turbine which enables water to flow through to a generator and provides renewable electricity - on the River Derwent at Darley Abbey Mills.

The scheme was recently praised in Parliament by secretary of state for energy and net zero, Ed Miliband.

Joanna Watson, a founding member of DCE, said factories in the area were first powered by water wheels and the project would "bring it full circle".

Darley Community Energy came together to try and implement a hydroelectric scheme on the River Derwent, using the power of the weir close to Darley Abbey Mills to provide renewable energy.

DCE has drawn up plans for a 100 kilowatt turbine.

The aim is to provide energy to the units directly rather than sending it to the National Grid.

The group said the target output would be more than 600,000 kWh per year - the average electricity use of more than 200 homes.

Ms Watson added the "ball park costs" are between £800,000 to £1m.

The site where today's Silk Mill is located further down the River Derwent is considered to be the first mechanised factory in world.

After securing funds from various pots for a feasibility study, the group is hoping to push forward with the plans.

"This gave the assurance that this is a viable project down here," Ms Watson said.

"This is a sensitive area due to its heritage and we have to be careful about the type of development so we're consulting on that.

"But this is all about decarbonising the energy use of the businesses in the mills - the area is based on and around water power - that's why it evolved in the first place because the factories here were powered by water wheels.

"It would bring it full circle."

Ms Watson said another model they could explore would be create an "energy local model" to use the low voltage neighbourhood network to offer a tariff to nearby residents.

She added it would keep the income in a "local pot" to pay off the capital costs.

"If the pot grows, we could reinvest it and fund other projects with the same ethos," she added.

The group is now exploring the site further and has submitted an outline planning application to Derby City Council - it is currently awaiting a response.

Derby North MP Catherine Atkinson recently raised the project in Parliament.

In response, Miliband praised the scheme and congratulated the group on its work.

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