Prince Charles' royal estate at Harewood End, Herefordshire plans water power plant (From Hereford Times)

Prince Charles' royal estate at Harewood End, Herefordshire plans water power plant

7:00am Tuesday 29th September 2009

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PRINCE Charles has opened his Harewood End estate to a county eco-group which plans to create a “first and flagship” alternative energy system on his land.

The Duchy of Cornwall wants permission to install a small micro-hydroelectric scheme during an ongoing £8 million rural regeneration project there.

The application says the Duchy has “kindly indicated to the Herefordshire Hydro Group a willingness for this opportunity to be a first and flagship development under the group’s self-help auspices”.

Ainsleigh Rice, who helped prepare the proposal, said it was only a small example of what could be achieved but that it had provided a “little bit of encouragement”, adding: “It’s provided an early opportunity for us to cut our teeth.”

If approved it could make way for similar projects being developed in conjunction with the organisation, which looks to generate alternative power through streams, rivers and the restoration of old mills.

An existing water wheel at Redbrook Farm near Hoarwithy would be restored and converted to produce around 2.5 MWh of electricity – 18 per cent of the smallholding’s yearly requirement – annually, while carbon dioxide emissions would also reduce by a tonne.

Land steward David Curtis also stressed the limited scale of the scheme and said it was unlikely to be reproduced elsewhere on Duchy land simply because there was a general lack of water.

“It’s part of the Duchy’s ethos in experimenting with updated technology regarding alternative energy,” he explained.

The Prince has owned Harewood – described on the Duchy’s website as a “jewel in the crown” that is being “brought back to life” – since 2000.

Past developments at the 900- acre estate include a large biomass heating system at Grange Farm and approved plans for a multi-million pound mansion thought by many to be a future home for Prince William, while the regeneration project on the whole has previously won support from Herefordshire Council.

In this case experts said the option of a turbine was briefly considered but that a water wheel was selected based upon it being “emotionally the right thing to do”.

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