Farmers show interest in Micro-hydro power.

In a suitable location small-scale hydropower is one of the most cost-effective and reliable of the renewable energy technologies.   It has several advantages over wind and solar power, with a high level of predictability, varying with annual rainfall patterns. It is a long-lasting and robust technology and systems can readily be engineered to last for 50 years or more.

Those attending were given an understanding of the principles of micro-hydro, connecting to the Grid and the economics of potential systems. Eoin was then able to demonstrate the plant on Ballynalough Farm.

Renewable Energy Event at CAFRE’s Enniskillen Campus on 22 February 2012:

Organising committee. From left: Gareth Gormley, DARD, Connor Maguire, CAFRE, Lindsay Easson, AFBI, Kieran Coulter, DARD, Eric Long and David Trimble, CAFRE.

For those  interested in energy from micro-hydro and other renewable technologies, DARD, in conjunction with the Ulster Farmers’ Union  and Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute are running another Practical On-farm Renewable Energy Event, this time at CAFRE’s Enniskillen Campus on Wednesday 22 February from 1.30pm through to 10.00pm.

The Fair is open FREE of charge to anyone in the farming and rural sector who are interested in reducing their costs through adopting more energy efficient practices and will provide a platform to network, source, meet suppliers and keep up-to-date on energy-saving systems and renewable technologies.

There will again be a series of seminars throughout the day on each of the main renewable energy technologies; wind power, biomass production and utilisation, anaerobic digestion, solar hot water, micro-hydro, and heat pumps.

A second series of seminars will deal with many of the issues facing those considering a green energy source. Topics covered will include the proposed Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), grid connection, planning, NI Renewable Obligation Certificates (NIROC’s), business planning, taxation, as well as finance and funding options.

In addition there will be a Trade Exhibition and the opportunity to see the biomass boiler installation at Enniskillen campus. For further details contact Connor Maguire at 028 6634 4853 or connor.maguire@dardni.gov.uk

Hydro projects in Northern Ireland: 

The first ever Archimedean Screw generator in Northern Ireland was only recently installed at Shane’s Castle in Antrim. Rated at 214 kilowatts this is the largest single Archimedean Screw generator ever manufactured. It is now fully commissioned  fully operational.

The predicted annual output is a massive 1,125,000 kilowatt-hours. To put this in perspective, an average household uses less than 5,000 kilowatt-hours per year, so this hydro scheme has the potential to power more than 225 houses. This scheme will also save an impressive 484 tonnes or more of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions by generating clean, green electricity.

Shane’s Castle Hydro Project, Antrim

Omagh District Council  are  utilising the weir on the Camowen River, adjacent to Omagh Leisure Complex, to generate electricity through an Archimedean Screw hydro turbine. This hydro project is the second of only two Archimedean Screw hydro projects to date in Northern Ireland. The development of the hydro scheme on the Camowen River will generate sufficient power to meet the needs of Omagh Leisure Complex with excess electricity sold back to the national grid. Rated at 121 kilowatts the hydro turbine is predicted to save in excess of 133 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) annually. It is expected that this project will be fully commissioned and operational in the coming weeks.

Omagh Hydro Project, Tyrone

We look forward to meeting you at the show.

We offer a friendly one-stop shop for hydro development, from feasibility studies to licensing, to installation and commissioning and everything in between.