Landustrie Sneek recently delivered a Landy Archimedes screw turbine for a hydroelectric plant at Havannah Weir on the river Dane, UK.

The screw turbine will be at the heart of a hydropower scheme to supply green energy to the local community.

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Arrival of Landustrie Landy screw unit at Congleton, UK
Arrival of the Landy screw unit at Congleton, UK, early March. (photo: DVCE)
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Arrival of Landustrie Landy screw unit at Congleton, UK
Arrival of the Landy screw unit at Congleton, UK, early March. (photo: DVCE)

Local initiative

The hydro power scheme has been initiated by the Congleton Sustainability Group. The initiative involves volunteers who aim to raise awareness of the issues associated with climate change and to promote sustainability in their town. Next to the group’s activity to sell apple juice to finance the planting of new fruit trees and preserve local allotments for more locally grown food, the group also wants to reduce the town’s carbon footprint.

One of the carbon reduction projects became the construction of a hydro power station at a nearby weir on the Dane river.

Local electricity production

For the upfront investments, a community benefit society called the Dane Valley Community Energy Ltd (DVCE) was formed to raise money by selling community shares, collecting donations and applying for green energy subsidies. The hydropower plant is now under construction and is to generate 260,000 kWh of electricity annually for the next 40 years.

This is the equivalent of the energy demand of 60 homes. The carbon savings are estimated at 283,000 tonnes annually.

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Digging of an Archimedes screw tunnel for a hydro power plant in de Dane river, UK
Digging of the screw tunnel at the weir. (photo: DVCE)
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Digging of an Archimedes screw tunnel for a hydro power plant in de Dane river, UK
Digging of the screw tunnel at the weir. (photo: DVCE)

Screw unit

The hydro plant will consist of a 7.5 metre long Archimedes screw, with a 2.5 metre diameter, driving a 65kW electrical generator. The screw can already produce hydropower at a level difference of 1 meter and a capacity of 500 l/sec. 

Landustrie has delivered Landy hydro screw units for the generation of hydro energy worldwide, with flows up to 15 m3/sec, at a head of 8 metre.

Covid restrictions

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Landustrie’s team of mechanics were unable to perform the commissioning in the UK. The site was really constrained and difficult to access. However, under Landustrie’s supervision, local parties managed to install the large screw turbine themselves.

Video on the placement of the 8 ton Archimedes screw in the civil structure in early March.
This news item is based on content originally published on the websites of Landustrie and Congleton Hydro Project.