A blueprint for future renewable energy

Liberal Democrats are committed to investment in renewable energy sources such as wind, wave and solar so, County Councillor David Kendall took the opportunity to join a group of members from Essex County Council yesterday on a fact finding visit to the Ecotech Centre in Swaffham, Norfolk.

The Ecotech Centre is the home of Swaffham 1, the UK's first multi-megawatt wind turbine which was built in 1999 and is owned by ecotricity. It is one of a new generation of direct drive, variable speed wind turbines and produces enough electricity for around 3,000 people or over a third of the population of Swaffham.

The Ecotech Centre is an environmental education centre and Swaffham 1 includes a 65m high viewing platform, which has already been visited by over 50,000 people. The unique viewing platform is situated just below the hub and can be reached by climbing a 300 step spiral staircase inside the tower.

The coach visit to Swaffham was made by members of Essex County Council's Economic and Environment Policy and Scrutiny Committee and forms a part of their research into the different forms of Renewable Energy that are available to meet the County's future energy needs.

Cllr Kendall climbed the 65m up the inside of a wind turbine and said:

"It was an interesting experience that gave us all a very useful insight into the potential that wind power can offer as a source of renewable energy.

"The people of Swaffham welcomed the wind turbines in their area and were now reaping the benefits that wind power could offer the community. I am pleased to see that here in Essex plans are well advanced for Clacton to have an Off Shore Wind Farm and I am very excited by the potential that this source of energy has to offer our residents in the future"