News

Turbine Becomes New Landmark for Balloo

02 July 2008

Bangor has a striking new landmark, with the arrival this week of a new 54m tall, 850KW wind turbine at the edge of Balloo Wood (off Balloo Drive).

North Down Borough Council has erected the turbine to provide green energy for its new waste management facilities at Balloo. Testing and commissioning will take place next week and it is anticipated that the turbine will be operational next month.

Mayor of North Down, Alderman Leslie Cree, MLA, has welcomed the new addition to Bangor’s skyline and commented: “North Down Borough Council is thinking big when it comes to sustainability issues and at 54 metres tall our new wind turbine is a striking testimony to this. Harnessing wind power in this way is obviously beneficial to the environment but it will also save the Council £150,000 a year off our energy bill, which is good news for all ratepayers. With electricity costs due to rise by another 30% the arrival of the turbine could not have been better timed.”

The new turbine:
- stands 54m high from base to hub, with blades that are 38m in diameter and 19m long.
- has an electricity output of 850KW (enough power to meet the electricity needs of 300 large homes).
- cost £1.1m to purchase and install, however, the Council received a grant from central government to cover half this amount.
- will be used to power the Council’s new waste management facilities. Surplus power will be used to offset the Council’s overall electricity bill.
- will deliver energy savings to the Council of £150,000 per year.
- will offset its carbon footprint in the first three months of operation.

Councillor Anne Wilson proposed the construction of the wind turbine and is delighted that it will soon be operational. She commented: “I am very pleased that Council has been able to deliver this exciting new facility for North Down. While the weather this week has provided a poor start to the summer holidays, it has also shown that Northern Ireland offers superb wind resources and is particularly suited to producing energy from this renewable source.”

She continued: “As the turbine will both help to save the environment and to save the Council money, I think it is something we can all welcome. I hope that Council will build on the success of this project and look for other innovative sustainability measures to implement across the Borough.”

Once commissioning on the turbine is complete, landscaping work will be undertaken in Balloo Wood by the Ulster Wildlife Trust. Council has entered into a strategic partnership with the Trust to manage Balloo Wood and to develop the Balloo Community Wetland Park on the edge of Rathgill Estate.

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