Consultation threatens viability of Welsh hydro schemes
The financial viability of micro-hydro schemes on Welsh upland farms could be jeopardised if the rules relating to water abstraction are tightened.
Environment Agency Wales is reviewing its abstraction guidelines because it says altering the natural pattern of water flows can significantly affect the ecology of rivers.
Schemes must comply with the agency’s hydropower good practice guidelines but in future the volume of water they are permitted to take or divert from watercourses could be reduced from 90% to 50%.
Farmers such as Glasnant Morgan, who is attempting to develop a 30kW scheme on his Powys hill farm, say some of the options being considered would make on-farm hydropower a “non-starter”.
“It would probably halve the amount of electricity we could generate,” insists Mr Morgan, who runs a beef and sheep farm at Talybont-on-Usk.
“We have to be able to generate a certain level of power or the figures just don’t stack up.”
Mr Morgan’s scheme has the potential to earn him £30,000 a year at a time when his income from environmental support schemes is set to decline by two-thirds.
The Green Valleys (Wales) Community Interest Company is assisting Mr Morgan and many other farmers with their energy schemes.
It says any option other than to maintain the current guidelines but with greater environmental protections would have a “catastrophic impact” on the ability of Welsh hill farms to utilise the streams running through their land.
It suggests the repercussions on potential farm diversification revenue over the next 20 years would be significant.
Environment Agency Wales defended the consultation saying it had a responsibility to ensure that any scheme that takes water from rivers does not harm the river or wildlife.
“This means that we have to limit how much water is taken in order to make our rivers more sustainable as a source of clean, renewable energy for the long term,” said a spokesperson.
The consultation closes on 2 April. To view the document go to https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk and type “hydropower” into the keywords search box.
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