Cornwall Light & Power (CLP) is to hold a public exhibition next month regarding its plans to seek planning permission for a three-turbine 9MW wind farm on the Isle of Wight.

CLP will be putting their proposed plans for a wind farm at Cheverton Down on display on the following revised dates:
 
Wednesday 3rd September (3.30pm – 7.30pm), Shorwell Parish Hall, Shorwell
Thursday 4th September (5.30pm – 8pm), Wilberforce Hall, Brighstone
Friday 5th September (12noon – 8pm), Riverside Centre, Newport
Saturday 6th September (10am – 2pm), West Wight Sports Centre, Freshwater

Steve Allen, Development Manager at Cornwall Light & Power, said:

“We are extremely keen to hear people’s thoughts on our revised plans for the wind cluster at Cheverton Down. The Island’s views and opinions on our proposals will be invaluable to us in the preparing a planning application for consideration by the Isle of Wight Council.”

Further information can also be found online at www.clpwindprojects.co.uk, and residents are also encouraged to contact the development team directly on 01872 226 930 or info@clpwindprojects.co.uk with any questions or feedback.

The Cornwall Light & Power company is aiming to establish the turbines at Cheverton Down, on farmland near to the production and research facilities of the company’s technology partner, Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas.

As the Vestas production facility on the Isle of Wight gears up to produce blades for the V90, the Cheverton Down wind farm could help further develop the technology

The application is in effect a joint submission between the two companies, with Vestas intending to carry out “non-disruptive” research on the turbines to “help it remain in the technology lead”.

The research would help safeguard UK jobs at the turbine manufacturers’ Isle of Wight sites in Newport and Cowes, according to a scoping report sent to the local council planners.

Cornwall Light & Power, part of the Renewable Energy Generation Group, already has planning permission to develop 300kW wind turbines at that location. But this consent was approved back in 1995, requiring the use of technology that is no longer available as new.

Despite approval for an updated application in 2003, for 600kW turbines that would have a total height of 52m to the blade tips, the company now wants to use 3MW turbines. The Vestas V90 turbines would see a turbine height of 125m to the tip.

Vestas announced last week that it is switching blade production at its Newport factory to producing 44-metre blades for the V90 turbine (see this New Energy Focus story), which will be used at the proposed Cheverton Down wind farm if consent is granted.