The Proposed Wind Farm Is Located on Mendennick Hill Within the Parish of Millbrook

Mendennick WIND FARM

Mendennick

Turbines up to 3

Turbine Height up to 81m

Total MW up to 2.55MW

Welcome Goonhilly Downs - Cornwall Welcome and thank you for taking the time We were among the UK’s original renewable to come to this public exhibition for our energy trailblazers, starting life as the proposed Mendennick Wind Farm. Cornwall Light and Power Company back We have prepared the information on display in 1989 and we continue to operate from our today to help you fi nd out more about the Head Offi ce in Truro. project. We are now one of the country’s leading Members of the project team are also here to developers and operators of small to answer any questions. medium-sized wind farms and in 2010 took on the name of REG Windpower to refl ect our We are very interested in your views so please expanding nationwide business. fi ll in a comments form and drop it in the box provided before you leave. We operate 11 wind farms around the country in Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Durham, Gwynedd and Yorkshire. About REG Windpower Our wind farms generate safe, clean, REG Windpower (REG) is a British company renewable energy which is used to supply that develops, owns and operates wind farms nearby towns and villages through the local in the UK. distribution network.

www.mendennickwindfarm.co.uk Mendennick WIND FARM

About Wind Energy

The UK needs a mix of low carbon energy production, such as wind, hydro, marine, solar and nuclear power generation, to secure the UK’s energy supply and tackle climate change. As the chart shows, we live in the windiest country in Europe - and Cornwall is one of the windiest parts of the UK - and yet we are still lagging behind other countries in harnessing this natural resource to generate clean power.

Wind power has a number of beneﬁ ts: • Clean - Produces no harmful emissions during generation and helping displace emissions from fossil fuel power stations. • Cheap - Wind can reduce the cost of our electricity bills because it has no direct fuel costs and through constantly improving technology the cost of wind energy is competitive with natural gas, coal and nuclear power. • Reliable - Turbines are producing electricity on average for 70-85% of the year. • Quick energy payback - Energy consumed in the construction, transportation and operation of a wind turbine is paid back in less than one year. • Minimal impact - Turbines have a minimal impact on local eco-systems and land use compared to other forms of energy production. • Recyclable - After its operating life a wind turbine can be removed and the land restored. Furthermore 80% of modern turbines can be recycled. • Quick - A wind turbine does not require a long time to build, or dismantle. • Independence - Wind power can help reduce the UK’s dependency on any one supplier, country, or technology. This is important because the UK’s energy demands are increasing and our reserves of fossil fuels are declining.

www.mendennickwindfarm.co.uk Mendennick WIND FARM

Site Selection - Location Map

Mendennick site location

Finding the right site Site selection for a wind farm is a complex process. We strive to The wind farm, based on ensure our projects have minimal impact on the local area. There the installation of three 850KW wind turbines, are many factors that we consider before deciding to progress a could produce enough project. These include making sure: renewable electricity to meet the equivalent • The wind speed is suitable annual needs of around 1700 households • Turbines can be sited a suitable distance from homes (based on local wind • Access routes are available data and DECC ﬁ gures for domestic electricity • The site is outside local or national environmental designations consumption in 2010). • We can connect to the grid nearby • Civil or military aviation corridors are not affected

As the site for the proposed Mendennick Wind Farm meets all these criteria we have continued with detailed environmental and technical studies as well as consultation with organisations like Natural England and English Heritage, and local people and their representatives. This work has shaped the designs you see on display today.

www.mendennickwindfarm.co.uk Mendennick WIND FARM

About Mendennick Wind Farm

The Mendennick site The proposed wind farm is located on Mendennick Hill within the parish of Millbrook. It is sited between SCA Foam Products Factory and Millbrook Business Park on the B3247.

The proposed wind farm We propose: • Three wind turbines measuring a maximum of 81m to the tip of the blade. • Although the exact model of turbine to Scoping Layout be used will not be confi rmed until we have planning permission, machines installed • Archaeology and cultural heritage could comprise a 55 metre tower and three • Electromagnetic links blades measuring 26 metres. • We expect each turbine to have a generating capacity of 850 kilowatts, so These detailed assessments confi rm that the wind farm’s total capacity would be Mendennick Hill is a suitable place from 2.55MW. which to generate signifi cant quantities of • On average this wind farm would generate clean energy without signifi cant effects on 7.5 million kwh of safe, clean, renewable the local environment. electricity. This is equivalent to the annual The studies will also form a comprehensive electricity requirement of over 1,700 Environmental Impact Assessment which homes1 will accompany a planning application. We now expect to submit a planning Since our last exhibitions on the Rame application to Cornwall Council in November Peninsula in October 2011 we have 2012.

completed a range of studies into the effect 1 Based on local wind data and installation of Vestas 850kW turbines and the wind farm would have on: DECC-published ﬁ gures for domestic electricity consumption in 2010. • Landscape • Trafﬁ c • Noise • Aviation • Wildlife

www.mendennickwindfarm.co.uk Mendennick WIND FARM

Benefi ts to local communities Community Fund Whenever we develop a new project we always look to ensure the local community shares in the fi nancial benefi ts of having a wind farm in the area. We propose to set aside £4,000 per MW of installed capacity for every year the wind farm is up and running. Because we are proposing a 2.55MW wind farm this could result in annual payments of Hosting a wind farm can bring signifi cant £10,200 (index-linked) every year. benefi ts to local communities. It is also possible that we could make a Not only will the turbines generate much proportion of this fund available up-front, needed clean electricity but REG Windpower allowing speedy funding for more major always seeks to use local expertise wherever projects. possible during the construction and operation of its wind farms. We fi rmly believe that local people should decide how this money is spent so we This means there could be opportunities for would love to hear your ideas for local local companies and individuals across a projects the fund could support. range of areas including: Please let us know using the feedback forms provided today or contact us via • Civil engineering www.mendennickwindfarm.co.uk • Haulage • Stone for access tracks • Handling cranes • Concrete • Safety consultants • Fencing • Security • Accommodation • Catering

www.mendennickwindfarm.co.uk Mendennick WIND FARM

Studying the site at Mendennick

Although wind farms require plenty of space to operate, their actual footprint is very small. Typically they only occupy around one percent of the site.

Preferred transport route

Building a wind farm of this size usually existence and will keep you informed of takes around six to eight months, so if our major developments during the construction application is approved we could begin process. generating safe, clean, renewable energy in late 2013. We have assessed a number of routes for bringing the turbines to the site and our Construction trafﬁ c typically consists of light preferred option is shown here. This route has vehicles and normal HGVs. Larger loads been developed through early consultation delivering turbine components are usually with the council’s highways department. only required over a period of approximately four weeks and the turbines themselves are erected in a matter of days. If we erect the turbines we will also need to build a small substation. Electricity generated runs down the towers and then through These movements are managed through on- underground cabling to the substation on- going liaison with the council’s highways site. Here it is converted to the right voltage department to keep disruption to a minimum. and leaves the wind farm to connect to the local electricity distribution network at Antony, probably also via underground cables. There We always strive to be considerate neighbours will be no need for large pylons. throughout all phases of a wind farm’s

www.mendennickwindfarm.co.uk Mendennick WIND FARM

Next steps Goonhilly Downs - Cornwall Over the last two years we have conducted We have set up a website for the project at a comprehensive assessment of the project’s www.mendennickwindfarm.co.uk which suitability, consulted a range of organisations will be updated as the scheme progresses and asked local people for their opinion. through the planning system. We will also post the information on display today. You can get in touch with us using the website, to ask a Now we are ready to submit a planning question, suggest a project the Community application based on these responses and Fund should support or simply give us your ﬁ ndings. opinion.

Once the application is submitted, Cornwall Thank you for coming today and we hope you Council will invite local people to make found the information useful. We are keen to comments. We expect the council’s decision hear your views, questions or suggestions so on the proposal in 2013. please ﬁ ll in a feedback form or speak to one of the project team here today.