The River Wharfe at Greenholme Mill

Greenholme Mill is our latest hydropower station, which is due to start producing renewable energy in early 2011. It is a joint venture between TLS Hydro and Derwent Hydro.

Where is it?

The River Wharfe, near Leeds, Yorkshire. The Wharfe is the fastest rising river in England – perfect for a hydropower scheme.

Site history

Greenholme Mill was built in 1792 as a cotton mill. It traded as a textile producer until 1966 when the business closed.

The mill was notable for using waterpower in its production well into the twentieth century, perhaps because of the suitability of the Wharfe as a power source.
What have we done?

We are installing a Kaplan turbine (which looks much like a ship propeller) to generate the power. We are renovating, updating and clearing the existing weir and leat (the channel which takes water away from the main river to our turbine).

The hydropower plant

The plant itself will process 10 tonnes of water a second. It has a capacity of 330kw and is expected to provide the equivalent power for 300 homes.

What’s the environmental impact?

First and foremost, the plant will save 13 tonnes of carbon-dioxide a year from release into the atmosphere.

We’ve installed a downstream fishpass to minimise impact on the river life alongside a special pipe to allow lampreys (an eel-like fish and a protected species) back into the river proper.

Bat boxes have been affixed to the trees surrounding the site and the turbine house has been faced with local stone to ensure the building blends into the landscape.