Lancaster Uni plans wind power to cut CO2

A £7.4m green energy plan for Lancaster University goes before city planners next week as part of a strategy to cut its carbon emissions by at least 38% by 2020.

The proposal is to build two wind turbines, which will significantly reduce the campus' reliance on conventional, fossil-fuel power stations.

Lancaster will receive a repayable grant of £5m towards the £7.4m needed to build two 2.3MW wind turbines on its Hazelrigg site from the Higher Education Funding Council if the plan gets the go-ahead at the meeting of Lancaster City Council planning committee on May 10.

Lancaster was one of only three out of 37 applicants to win funding from HEFC's £10m Transformational Fund.

Steve Egan, deputy chief Executive of HEFCE, said: "Lancaster University's proposals were exceptional. They presented a very thorough case for a project that could significantly reduce its emissions."

The remaining funds required for the project would come directly from the university's own budget through major savings on electricity bills, as the wind turbines would achieve a seven-year payback.

Jonathan Mills, Lancaster University's environment and sustainability manager, said: "We believe everyone has a part to play in carbon reduction and in creating real change. The wind turbine plan would make a major contribution to reducing the carbon footprint of the campus. It will also cut our electricity bills significantly.

"We have taken very seriously any impact the project might have on the local area and environment, with the turbines we're proposing using the very latest technology available. We have also worked closely with experts to develop a detailed long-term ecology and landscape management plan for the Hazelrigg site."