Plans have been submitted to replace one of two wind turbines at a Spalding farm with a newer model producing more than four times the output of the existing model.
An application has been submitted to South Holland District Council for Bank House Farm, The Delph.
An existing 50kw turbine standing 36m high will be replaced by a new 40m turbine producing 225kw if the application is approved.
“The replacement will increase the farm’s renewable energy capacity, supporting its long-term sustainability,” says a document submitted in support of the application.
“The replacement turbine will have a hub height of 40m, a rotor diameter of 29m and a total blade tip height of 54.5m. The second existing turbine will be retained and is unaffected by the proposal,” the document adds.
Both original turbines were installed on the farm after permission was originally granted in 2012.
“They have been operational since without giving rise to any recorded adverse impacts on local amenity or the surrounding environment. The site benefits from established access arrangements, and the delivery of the replacement turbine will be managed via the existing farm access, which has previously accommodated the delivery and erection of both existing machines,” adds the report.
The advances in turbine technology over the intervening years means a similar-sized model to the original can generate much more power.
“The gain in renewable energy generation is considered to outweigh the limited harm arising from this modest increase in scale,” says the application.
Any excess electricity is sold back to the National Grid.
