Onshore wind turbines are being proposed to power the Humber ports, with initial plans laid out for Grimsby.
Four turbines are being proposed, with a blade tip height of up to 150m - significantly higher than the 94m Dock Tower - the iconic building that welcomes mariners back to land.
Plans put forward as consultation begins feature four 6MW-maximum installations to the west of the port estate, with two north of Alexandra Dock, and two off Moody Lane. All areas are currently used for car import handling, away from the operational quaysides - with one almost on the spot where Tioxide Tower stood until 2015.
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Two more turbines could follow for Immingham, taking generation to 36MW, with Hull also being considered. Locations have yet to be confirmed for those in what is a multi-million pound proposal.
The Humber ports have been central to the wind energy revolution offshore, with the world’s largest farms operated from Grimsby and Hull home to the blade-making plant for them, and many others. If approved and then built out by ABP, it would represent a further injection of green energy into the ports, alongside acclaimed solar installations on the rooftops of the vast terminal buildings. The team said it would make operations more sustainable and resilient against energy costs, while underlining the role played in decarbonisation.
Simon Bird, regional director for ABP Humber said: “We are steadily replacing our port plant and equipment with greener models, and we’ve already got the UK’s largest solar panel array at the Port of Hull. This application for onshore wind is serving to establish ABP as a greener part of the supply chain.
“The presence of wind turbines within the port estate reflects the innovation of our ports and shows our commitment and investment to becoming sustainable. It is our intention to also develop turbines at our Port of Hull.”
In North East Lincolnshire presently, there are two onshore turbines operational at an Aylesby farm, while just across the border at Tetney, the eight-turbine Bishopthorpe farm generates in clear view of much of Cleethorpes. They have a maximum blade tip height of 115m.
ABP would not be the first to consider it. Novartis had looked at deploying onshore wind at the site it is now vacating on the South Humber Bank. Brought forward in 2005, it was, however, turned down in 2008, with concerns over the risk to migrating birds. The site proposed has recently been converted into a wetland for wildlife, dubbed a motorway service station for birds making huge seasonal journeys.
ABP has just launched its £2 billion plan to hit Net Zero by 2040, while playing a key role in the UK’s journey. It has already reduced its own CO2 emissions by more than 35 per cent since 2014, investing more than £55 million in sustainability measures. Aside from generating infrastructure, this has included electric vehicles and cranes across the group and a new fleet of more fuel-efficient pilot boats. The Port of Immingham recently trialled a Terberg hydrogen fuelled tractor in its container terminal, in a UK first, while carbon and hydrogen feed stock import facilities are also in the planning process.
The company has recently submitted a scoping report, working with Green Cat Renewables, to gauge the opinion of North East Lincolnshire Council on the level of detail required for the full planning application. Further details, and how the public can view and comment on the plans, will be announced at a later date.
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