ABP announces £3 million investment in second wind turbine at Newport
Associated British Ports (ABP), owner and operator of the Port of Newport, has announced a £3 million investment in a second 2.3 MW wind turbine at the Port of Newport.
Work has started on the foundation of the new turbine and it is due to be fully operational by autumn this year. The Port of Newport is already home to an existing 2.3 MW wind turbine that became operational in March 2014, generating 1.46 million units of electricity within its first six months of use. This second turbine will help ABP to further reduce its carbon emissions through the production of green energy.
Ralph Windeatt, Head of Commercial at ABP South Wales, said: “ABP is fully committed to investing in renewable energy projects and we are continually reviewing how we can better incorporate sustainable practices and renewable energy technology into our port operations.
“The development of a second wind turbine at the Port of Newport clearly demonstrates this commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and through these investments we are moving towards becoming self-sufficient for our own day-to-day operational electricity needs.”
Investment in renewable energy has been a major focus across ABP’s five ports in South Wales in recent years. Completed projects include a 20 acre 4.5MWp solar array at the Port of Barry that opened in August 2015 and 250kW rooftop solar arrays that have been installed at the ports of Newport, Cardiff, and Swansea. By the end of 2016 ABP South Wales will be home to over 10 MW of renewable energy projects.
Support for ABP’s approach has also been voiced by trade association RenewableUK.
“ABP has a strong track record on installing renewable energy at its facilities in Wales, and this is a good example of using brownfield sites to develop non-traditional revenue streams to boost income,” said RenewableUK Cymru Director, David Clubb. “A previous finalist for the Wales Green Energy Awards, ABP is continuing to demonstrate that renewable energy is not just good for social responsibility, but it’s also great for the bottom line.”
