June 22, 2008
England
England
A set of giant wind turbines is set to be installed at East MIdlands Airport by the end of the year, it was revealed today.
Bosses at the airport, near Castle Donington, hope to start building four, 135ft-high turbines by November.
They say they want the airport to reduce its carbon footprint – its impact on the environment measured in terms of the carbon it produces – by drawing on renewable energy sources.
The turbines will generate 900kwh (kilowatt hours) of electricity, without any emissions to pollute the environment. That would cover about 10 per cent of the airport’s energy needs – enough to power 500 houses.
An airport spokeswoman said: “We want the airport to become carbon neutral by 2012 and the turbines are an important piece of that project.
“We want them up and turning as soon as possible but it is a detailed and complicated job. The end of the year is when we expect that to happen.”
The turbine plan caused controversy because no planning permission was needed because of the airport’s permitted development rights. The airport has regularly objected to other proposals for turbines within a 10-mile radius because it said they could affect radar readings.
Campaigners say their impact will be miniscule in reducing pollution compared to the emissions from the number of planes that use the airport.
21 June 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/06/22/airport-to-have-wind-turbines/