100m wind turbine could be built on seafront

A 100-metre-tall wind turbine, taller than The Statue of Liberty and Big Ben, could be built on the Southport seafront.

A pre-planning application from Edibnurgh-based Locogen Consulting sought advice from Sefton Council earlier this year on a plan to build the mammoth structure.

The project is intended to replace the existing but defunct wind turbine at the Southport Eco Centre.

When completed, the peak blade tip height on the new turbine would be 99.5 metres high.

Southport Community Energy say the turbine would generate over 2.5 million kWh of electricity and save Sefton Council at least £40,000 per year.

A 1MW wind turbine can provide enough electricity to power about 300 to 400 homes in a typical year, assuming an average wind speed of 15 miles per hour.

The opinion guidance published earlier this year is not a firm planning application, and permission has not yet been granted nor sought from Sefton Council.

Ahead of an event held at the Southport Bijou Theatre in March, Locogen published: “We have been working with the Northwest Energy Hub to replace the old defunct wind turbine at the eco centre with a larger wind turbine.

“The energy generated would be used to supply Splashworld. The project would reduce carbon emissions by 5,200 tonnes over 20 years and save Sefton Council £40,000 a year.

“We want the new turbine to be owned by the people of Southport who can put any surplus (profit) generated into a Community Benefit Fund that can support projects in Southport. It is estimated that selling the energy that the turbine generated would create a community benefit fund of £1.6 million over the 20 years of the project.”