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Wind turbine will help turn beer even greener

Hobsons, the award-winning south Shropshire brewery, has taken a step towards its aim to become the leading sustainable eco-brewery in the UK.

Providing a third of the electricity needed to create the perfect Hobsons pint is the brewery’s new, twin blade windmill. And now it is asking locals to help it out with a name for the new arrival.

Cleobury Mortimer-based Hobsons has always been committed to sustainable technologies, having implemented rainwater capture, ground source heat pumps and the use of hydro-carbon rather than CFCs in its refrigeration processes.

Managing director Nick Davis spent several years researching wind technology before choosing the twin blade windmill manufactured by Gaia-Wind.

The power will be utilised in every aspect of the production process, from brewing through to bottling. When less power is needed by the brewery, the electricity will automatically be re-directed to the national grid. The £40,000 windmill will have paid for itself in six years.

“We are delighted with the response from everyone in the town. We chose a wind turbine as these make less noise than the three blade variety,” said Mr Davies. “We also spent a long time finding the right place for the windmill to ensure it had the least impact on the landscape. However, people keep ringing to ask where the windmill is so that they can visit it.”

The winner of the naming competition will receive a crate of Hobsons beer.