Wind turbines upgrades planned at Sunderland Nissan plant to 'improve electricity production

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has received an application for the base of Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited.

Nissan manufactures hundreds of thousands of motor vehicles every year at the site, which is situated off Washington Road.

Earlier this year, the company celebrated building its 11 millionth car since production first started in 1986.

Nissan’s plant extends over a large area and includes a number of manufacturing buildings, plant and machinery installations, internal access roads and vehicle storage areas, as well as a solar farm and wind turbines.

New plans submitted to Sunderland City Council aim to upgrade existing wind turbines at the Nissan site to “improve electricity production”.

The planning listing states this will include “replacement blades to seven of the turbines” on site.

A planning application notes the new blades would be “one metre longer in length each so [the] effective swept diameter of turbine increases by two meters”.

The planning application adds: “Currently wind turbines are on the site and will remain, new blades [will] increase efficiency of turbines”.

Nissan began integrating renewable energy sources in Sunderland almost two decades ago when it installed its first wind turbines on site.

In 2016 the company installed a solar farm to further contribute towards renewable energy, with planning permission also granted to expand the solar farm in 2021.

The renewable energy project was part of the plant’s EV36Zero project and the company’s journey to carbon neutrality.

A decision on wind turbine upgrades at the Nissan plant will be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

Information on Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website suggests a decision is expected by October 4, 2023.

For more information on the plan or to track its progress, visit Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website and search reference: 23/01441/FUL