Nissan wants to extend wind farm on its Sunderland site
The company has applied to Sunderland City Council to add five more turbines to the 10 already running on its site by the side of the A19.
The firm is remaining tight-lipped out the project as it is in the early stages of the planning process, but has told the Echo it will help keep its emissions down and help keep the cost of powering its plant down.
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Hide AdThe existing turbines help it save 3,526 tonnes of CO2 per year, with a report prepared by TNEI Services Limited on behalf of Nissan setting out how the company is one of Sunderland’s most significant employers, with a workforce of around 6,000.
It adds: “The wider site already hosts 10 wind turbines which contribute towards the plant’s energy needs.
“These turbines were a global first for Nissan and the consenting and construction of further turbines will continue to elevate the profile of the Sunderland site.
“The extension will also help further reduce the plan’s reliance on electricity from the grid and secure more energy from an on-site ‘green’ resource and at a lower price.”
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Hide AdIf approved, the five new turbines would have a maximum tip height of 76metres, a hub height of up to 50metres and their three blades would be up to 26metres in length.
They would have a total generating capacity of up to 4.25 megawatts.
“The efforts would see 830metres of extra track set down.
Contractors would be encouraged to use local firms and skills and the turbines themselves would be built off-site in sections and put together over a short period of time.
Once running, they would be monitored from a central control room, with two part-time engineers needed to maintain them. Four of the structures could go near the test track and the other close to the main factory.