British Waterways to Develop 25 Small Hydropower Projects

25 small-scale hydropower projects on the banks of British Waterways' to be developed

In March, British Waterways (Watford, England) and the Small Hydro Company (Oxfordshire, England) announced plans to develop 25 small-scale hydropower projects on the banks of British Waterways’ 2,200-mile waterway network. The company plans to invest £120 million ($194 million) over a period of three years for this initiative. Once fully operational, the hydropower projects will generate 210,000 megawatt-hours per year and prevent an estimated 110,000 tons per year of greenhouse gas emissions. About 150 jobs are expected to be created during the construction of these projects. The first two hydropower projects will be located on the Severn and Trent Rivers. The other locations identified are the Ouse, Don and Aire rivers in Yorkshire. The first project is expected to begin operating in 2010.