POWER FOR GOOD

PROJECT SIZE & LAYOUT

We have considered a number of different layouts for the wind farm during the evolution of the design. The layout of 13 turbines has taken into account what we have learnt from carrying out an environmental impact assessment on the site. Each wind turbine will have a maximum output of 2.3MW with a maximum height of 120m to the tip of the blade.

The proposed layout of the wind farm is shown below:

LayoutSml

INFRASTRUCTURE:

  • Grid connection: All the turbines will generate electricity which will feed into an on-site substation via underground cables. The specific route for the wind farm to connect to the electricity grid will be determined by the utility company and it is likely that the cables will be buried and the connection to the grid will be within the wind farm site, avoiding the need for additional electricity pylons.
  • Tracks: A new network of tracks on site would be built to provide access to each turbine. The tracks will be approximately 5m wide and have been designed to run along existing farm tracks where possible, in order to minimise environmental disturbance and land take. Where new track is required, it has been designed to run along the edge of field boundaries to avoid disruption to farming activity and recognise environmental constraints. Where the tracks deviate from the field edges to gain access to the turbines, pockets of chalk grassland are proposed to increase the biodiversity interest of the site.
  • Road improvements: The majority of suitable onshore sites for wind farms are of a rural or semi-rural nature. Road networks to such sites will often require some degree of upgrading to accommodate construction and turbine delivery traffic. The site entrance options and the various on-site and off-site routes have been examined for suitability by a civil engineer from RES and specialist engineering consultants. In addition relevant Highways Authorities have been consulted including Cambridgeshire County Council and the Highways Agency.
  • The most promising route to access the site has been identified as using the slip road off the A11 westbound onto Mill Road to the north-western tip of the site, where vehicles can access the site directly. This route will ensure that turbine construction and delivery traffic will not cause disturbance to local houses en route from the A11. Traffic management measures will be implemented prior to and during the construction phase in consultation with the relevant Highways Authorities and the police to minimise any disturbance to local residents and ensure the safety of other road users during construction. Increased traffic levels would be experienced during the 12 months of construction but these effects are temporary and any disturbance to local residents and other road users will be short term when considered over the life of the project. Only minor works are required at the slip road to enable the abnormal loads to gain access to the site.
  • Foundations: The towers will stand on concrete foundations which are likely to be 16-18m in diameter 1.5-3.5m in depth. The foundation surface lies up to 1m below the normal ground surface and is back filled with soil.