Forward Looking University Explores Energy Options

Published: 13/02/2008

University of Reading and the Carbon Trust’s Partnerships for Renewables look at local site for wind power project .

University of Reading and the Carbon Trust’s Partnerships for Renewables (PfR) team are exploring the exciting possibility of developing a green energy project comprising up to six, state of the art wind turbines around University-owned land at Rushy Mead adjacent to the M4 between Junctions 10 and 11.

Privately run and funded by Partnerships for Renewables, which develops and manages renewable energy projects designed to accelerate the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy, the project will not only be a large source of green energy, but also provide revenues to fund local projects.

University of Reading and PfR will ensure that the local community is central to the development process and public exhibitions will be held at appropriate stages as the project progresses.

Professor Gordon Marshall, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Reading commented:

“The potential Rushy Mead Green Energy Project would extend the University’s environmental and research credentials by providing university researchers with direct access to instrumentation and data which could be used to find practical ways of managing and developing renewable energy sources.

“The development of renewable energy projects sits right at the heart of much of the University’s world renowned research into sustainability and climate change issues. The project has enormous research potential and could provide direct access to a fully functioning green energy source right on its doorstep; it will make good use of currently underutilised land and generate considerable green energy to help the fight against climate change.”

Partnerships for Renewables has been consulting with University of Reading to identify a location for the project that meets its rigorous screening processes, as PfR’s Chief Executive, Stephen Ainger, explains:

“Since Partnerships for Renewables was established we have investigated well over one thousand potential sites for renewable energy development around the UK and the Rushy Mead site has passed all of our technical and environmental tests and stood out as a potentially excellent location for wind turbines.

“There is still a lot of work to do to ensure that any proposal at Rushy Mead is sympathetically designed to the local environment and proves a real asset to both the University and the local community.”

Further information can be found on the project website at www.rushy-mead.co.uk.


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For further information

Graham Smith
University of Reading
T: 0118 378 7115
M: 07770 500194
g.smith@reading.ac.uk


Tom Brinicombe
Partnerships for Renewables
T: 020 7 170 6800
M : 07814 169380
tom.brinicombe@pfr.co.uk

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