Repowering Woodlands Farm
We’re working to upgrade an out-of-action onshore wind turbine in Bodmin, Cornwall. The new turbine will be more powerful, more efficient, and deliver new benefits for the local community.
Project status
Our planning application has been approved by Cornwall Council! We'll now be taking the existing turbine down as it's not working very well, and then we'll secure the parts needed for the new turbine.
What’s a ‘repowering’ project?
Repowering means upgrading an existing renewable energy project to extend its lifespan. It’s a smart way to generate more clean energy without using extra land or starting from scratch.
Project details
The existing 45-metre-tall Turbowind turbine will be swapped out for a modern model.
The project site is on the outskirts of Bodmin, Cornwall.
We expect the repowered turbine to be about 67 metres tall with a 900kW capacity.
Benefits for the community
Beyond the boost in green energy, this project delivers meaningful benefits for people living nearby.
We plan to offer a £5,000 annual fund for the lifetime of the project and will work with the local community to decide how it’s used.
We’ll improve the surrounding area for wildlife, aiming for a 37% biodiversity net gain over what’s there today.
Through Fan Club, residents near the turbine could unlock discounted energy rates when the turbine is spinning!
Project timeline
What's been done...
Project kickoff
This project was brought to us in early 2024. After some site analysis and feasibility modelling, we decided to take on the project.
Public consultation
In July 2024, we hosted a public consultation at Bigbury Parish Memorial Hall to hear residents’ thoughts on the project. A huge thank you to everyone who attended and shared their views!
Planning application
We submitted a planning application to Cornwall Council in August 2024 – and we’re pleased to say it’s now been approved! You can find all the details of the application on their website.
Still to come...
Sourcing the parts
Now that planning permission is in place, we’re working to secure the turbine and all the parts we’ll need to carry out the upgrade.
Construction
We expect the upgrade to take a couple of months. Most of that time is for the new foundations to set, after which the turbine can go up in about a week. We’ll keep the community updated as timelines are confirmed.
FAQs
For questions about this project, you can reach out to the team directly via development@octopusenergygeneration.com.
Not right away. The new turbine will initially run at the same 400kW capacity as the current one, so we can use the existing connection. In future, we hope to upgrade the grid so the turbine can reach its full 900kW capacity.
We’ll recycle as much of the old turbine as possible. Currently, that’s everything but the blades – so we'll work to repurpose these as well.
We’re creating a new area of mixed scrub habitat away from the turbine, designed to boost biodiversity without increasing the risk of bird or bat collisions. This will deliver a 37% biodiversity net gain (well above the 10% required by legislation) and provide lasting benefits for local wildlife.
Yes. On 8 July 2024, we hosted a public consultation at Bigbury Parish Memorial Hall. Online feedback was kept open for a further 30 days.