A number of wind turbines are set to be placed near Brighton and Hove, marking part of a wider strategy towards sustainable energy being implemented in the region.
Councillors for Adur District were full of praise for the approach being taken by the Shoreham Port authority, which has seen several solar panels installed already. These will now be joined by two turbines.
The council’s planning committee has given the green light for the energy-producing structures, which will provide 100kw of power, at the Basin Road South pump house in Southwick.
Pat Beresford, a councillor for the area, stated:
“This is part of the port’s conservation masterplan and they are doing exactly what they should be doing. I think the port needs to be applauded for their approach to making every ounce of use of their renewables.”
Although a local expressed concerns that it would represent the beginning of many more turbines being added to the landscape, the development director for the port, Peter Davies, assured him that this was not a large-scale project and that only a couple of further turbines would be considered.
Once the structures have been installed, they will require specialised lubricants that can cope with weather changes and other factors, such as Mobil SHC Gear 220 or Q8 Rembrandt EP2, to ensure that they run efficiently.
Davies has indicated that installing the two turbines at the site will take weeks, but that longer will be required to complete foundation work. It is hoped that they will be running by the close of 2015.
