Plans for hydro-electric power station in Yorkshire Dales National Park

Plans have been lodged to create a new power station in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, which could see the development of the largest hydro-electric electricity generating scheme in the highly protected area in more than a decade.
By Stuart Minting
Published 30th Sep 2022, 11:45 BST

Ellergreen Hydro has resubmitted proposals to the national park’s planners which could see the harnessing of water flows from a reservoir dam built to help maintain levels on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal used to power up to 140 homes in the south-west of the park.

The firm says the proposed scheme would offset the emission of 260 tonnes of CO2 annually by the generation of electricity from a renewable source, which will aid limiting the effects of climate change.

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The scheme at Winterburn Reservoir in Malhamdale has been in development since 2018 and will be considered by the park authority as it signs up to York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s Routemap to Carbon Negative strategy.

Ellergreen Hydro has resubmitted proposals to the national park’s planners which could see the harnessing of water flows from a reservoir dam built to help maintain levels on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal used to power up to 140 homes in the south-west of the park.Ellergreen Hydro has resubmitted proposals to the national park’s planners which could see the harnessing of water flows from a reservoir dam built to help maintain levels on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal used to power up to 140 homes in the south-west of the park.
Ellergreen Hydro has resubmitted proposals to the national park’s planners which could see the harnessing of water flows from a reservoir dam built to help maintain levels on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal used to power up to 140 homes in the south-west of the park.

The Routemap, which is due to be launched next month, features targets for immediate action, including ensuring the region creates 1,500MW of capacity from solar, onshore wind and hydropower in the next seven years.

Although numerous farms in the national park have launched small-scale hydro-electric technology to cut energy costs in recent years, a similar scheme was approved at the Winterburn Reservoir in 2019, but the consent for it has since expired.

While the harnessing of some renewable energy sources in national parks are likely to spark controversy due to their impact on the designated landscapes, Ellergreen Hydro says the ability of the hydroelectric technology to be buried, hidden by natural features, and blended into the local landscape results in schemes with a minor visual footprint.

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The planning application states: “The scheme will barely be visible unless in its immediate vicinity.”

The documents add that due to electricity network constraints in the area, the scheme is being limited to the 185kW that can be exported to the grid.

The power station is projected to provide up to 560MWh of renewable electricity per year, equivalent to the consumption of 140 average homes, and preventing the emission of 260 tonnes of CO2 annually.

Related topics:Yorkshire Dales National ParkCO2Leeds