Plan for nuclear power station threatens Cumbrian wind farm

German utility company RWE, which owns npower in the UK, is looking to locate a new generation nuclear power station at the site following the publication earlier this month by the Government of eleven potential UK sites for new nuclear power stations as part of its vision for a low carbon future. Kirksanton in Cumbria is one of those sites, but four modern wind turbines already exist on the site.

The turbines, located on an exceptional wind energy site, have widespread local support, are community-owned and were only replaced five years ago with larger, more modern turbines. One third of Baywind’s 1,300 members come from the local area.

Baywind director Annette Heslop said RWE's plans were "unacceptable", while Martin Forwood of Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment, described the plans as "the tip of the iceberg" in terms of renewables being pushed out of favour by nuclear.

However, RWE npower, said it had not made any definite plans regarding the Kirkstanton site and that it was "pro-wind".

“Our plans for nuclear development in Cumbria are at a very early stage and any impact on the wind farm at Haverigg would be discussed with the operator and landowner," said a spokesperson for the company. "RWE is very much pro wind power.  We operate more than 20 wind farms in the UK but, given the huge amount of carbon dioxide free electricity that a new nuclear power station could produce on the site, we believe that it’s right to consider whether the site is appropriate for new nuclear development.”

Hislop said Baywind is a pioneering and hugely successful project with a national profile. "It is a source of great pride to many in this community and has served as an inspiration to thousands of people across the country. To face the prospect of having part of Baywind casually destroyed in this way is completely unacceptable.

"There is inequity in the approach by the Government towards nuclear, such as a dedicated website by DECC – where is the equivalent for wind power? If a tiny fraction of the money pumped into nuclear plants was instead to be devoted to community renewables we might all face a much more sustainable future in which ordinary people owned their own energy supplies."

Forwood, one of the first locals to discover the nuclear plans from a public planning meeting earlier this month, said the Government did not have to approve the plans. “This is the tip of the iceberg in terms of renewables being pushed out in favour of nuclear, but It won’t happen if RWE does not get approval and that is at a Government level,” he said.

Haverigg II was commissioned in 1992 by Windcluster Ltd and initially financed by a pioneering group of ethical investors. In 2005 the original five Haverigg I turbines were replaced with four larger, more modern units, using further investment from the original investors along with finance from Triodos Bank. The new turbines are less than five years old and are designed to run for at least another 20 years.

Triodos Renewables, shares Windcluster's concerns. Operations director, Matthew Clayton, said:  “It's staggering that they don't exclude areas that are already productive sites for renewable technologies as part of the initial screening process. It just isn't very joined up. They're stamping out prime wind sites with arguably a much less sustainable technology.”

A full public consultation about the proposed nuclear sites will begin in the autumn and the sites will not be chosen until 2010.