Planning Supporting Statement - Partnerships for Renewables

Louth Canal Wind Energy Development
3 Development Proposals
3.1 Introduction
3.1.1 The application is the culmination of four years of development work by PfR during which time
the site‟s suitability and detailed environmental interests have been assessed. The wind
regime of the site has been defined by one year‟s worth of on-site monitoring and a range of
design options have been explored.
3.2 The Proposed Development
3.2.1 The proposed development is for the erection, 25 year operation and subsequent
decommissioning of three wind turbines up to 113.5m tall to the tip of a blade in a vertical
position. The development would have associated underground electrical cables, access
tracks, crane hardstandings, a temporary construction compound, external turbine transformer
housing, a permanent meteorological mast, and a control/substation building. Access to the
site would be from the A1031 Fen Lane. The layout of the proposed Development is shown in
Figure 4.1 of the ES.
3.2.2 The proposed Development would be connected into the local electricity distribution system.
Analysis and discussions with the local distribution network operator company, Northern
Powergrid (formerly (YEDL)), indicate that connection can be made to a substation
approximately 7.5km from the site at North Thoresby by underground cable.
3.2.3 Based on a maximum capacity of up to 2.5 Megawatt (MW) per wind turbine, the proposed
Development could generate approximately 16.4 Gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable
electricity per year, which is equivalent to the amount of electricity used annually by
approximately 3,680 average households 1 . In addition, the proposed turbine could also
displace approximately 7,062 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year 2 .
Habitat Management
3.2.4 A Habitat Management Plan has been produced for the site, and accompanies this planning
application and can be found in Chapter 16 of the Environmental Statement. The wider
management objectives of the HMP are to:
Ensure no net loss of habitat through the proposed Development;
Increase the diversity and abundance of invertebrate species at the site;
Sustain and enhance the existing aquatic/marginal habitats within the ditch system;
Introduce better grazing management to create a varied structural and species
diversity within the ditch swamp habitat;
Maintain the ecosystem services associated with the flood reservoir; and
Maintain and enhance ditch habitats for water vole.
1 Average household electricity use of 4,463kWh per annum
2 Based on three 2.5MW turbines, operating with a 25% capacity factor and the electricity generated displacing
electricity generated from Combined Cycle Gas Turbines / average fuel mix – approximately 430 gCO2/kWh
March 2012 4 Planning Supporting Statement
Copyright Partnerships for Renewables Development Co. Ltd 2012 ©