Torrs Hydro is a
micro hydroelectric scheme, owned by the community, in
New Mills
New Mills is a small town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England, south-east of Stockport and from Manchester at the confluence of the River Goyt and River Sett, Sett. It is close to the border with Cheshire and above the Torrs, a ...
,
Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
. It is on the
River Goyt
The River Goyt is a tributary of the River Mersey in North West England.
Etymology
The name ''Goyt'' may be derived from the Middle English ''gote'', meaning "a watercourse, a stream". Derivation from the Welsh ''gwyth'' meaning "vein" has be ...
, immediately below its confluence with the
River Sett at the Torr weir. A 2.4-metre diameter steel trough
screw turbine
file:Archimedes-screw one-screw-threads with-ball 3D-view animated smal back.gif, Reverse action of the Archimedean screw, the principle of the screw turbine gaining energy from water flowing down through the screw
file:Helical screw single double ...
generates up to 63 kW of electricity.
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History
Torr weir was built across the Goyt to provide a head for the
Torr Mill, which occupied the same site. Torr Mill burnt down in 1912.
On 20 September 2007 Torrs Hydro New Mills Limited, an Industrial and Provident Society for the
Benefit of the Community, was formed. £100,000 of capital was raised from 200 members.
Construction began in March 2008, and on 8 June the screw was delivered. It weighs 11 tonnes. Commissioning started in August and the scheme was handed over on 4 September 2008. Torrs Hydro has an agreement to sell its electricity to
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Limited, trading as Co-op and formerly known as the Co-operative Wholesale Society, is a British consumer cooperative, consumer co-operative with a group of retail businesses, including grocery retail and wholesale, leg ...
, which uses it to power its businesses, including its
Co-op Food
Co-op is a UK supermarket chain and the brand used for the food retail business of The Co-operative Group, one of the world's largest consumer co-operatives. As the UK's fifth largest food retailer, Co-op operates nearly 2,400 food stores. It ...
branch in New Mills.
See also
*
Settle Hydro, a similar scheme in North Yorkshire
References
External links
Torrs Hydro WebsiteTorrs Hydro ProspectusWestern Renewable Energy
Hydroelectric power stations in England
Buildings and structures in Derbyshire
Power stations in the East Midlands
New Mills
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