The micro hydropower project began in 2016. It was the brainchild of Anthony Paul Jewellery founder, Anthony Jackson, and his partner Corina Walker, with the vision of contributing towards a more sustainable planet. The hydropower station’s built deep in the Welsh mountains, harvesting the power from two large streams and producing enough clean energy for over 100 homes. It’s helped us become a carbon neutral company, so we can now proudly say that all our handmade jewellery’s produced using renewable green energy. But we don’t want to stop there – we’re always researching even more sustainable projects to invest in over the coming years.
Wales
The Lowdown
The whole project took three years to complete, including a year-long build. With every detail checked, from gaining licences and planning permission to environmental and archaeological assessments. Two streams gush through 900 metres of 12-inch pipes on a remote farm in Snowdonia National Park, Wales. They then fall over 600ft to the power station at the foot of the mountain. Wildlife protection was an important factor, so special passes through the two weirs were constructed for brown trout and eels. With 72 litres of water flowing through per second, the turbine produces an average of 350,000 kWh annually, which goes back into the national grid.
The Process
Here’s a glimpse into the work behind the three-year-long project…
Step One
The first step was building two weirs and a forebay tank.
Step Two
The second step was to build the power station and grid connection cubicle at the base of the mountain.
Step Three
Then 900 metres of pipe and cabling were installed to connect the weirs at the top to the power station at the bottom.
Step Four
This was followed by installation of the turbine, generator and computer control system.
Step Five
Finally, the wiring, commissioning and the TURNING ON…
