Knabs Ridge Wind Farm
{{Short description|Wind farm in North Yorkshire, England}}
{{use British English|date=September 2018}}
{{use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Knabs Ridge Wind Farm
| name_official =
| image = Kettlesing MMB 04 Knabs Ridge Wind Farm.jpg
| image_caption = Knabs Ridge Wind Farm
| image_alt =
| coordinates = {{coord|53.9981|-1.6474 |region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| country = England
| location = Penny Pot Lane, Felliscliffe, North Yorkshire
| status = Active
| construction_began = March 2007
| commissioned = November 2008
| decommissioned =
| cost =
| owner =
| operator = RWE Npower Renewables
| wind_farm_type = Onshore
| ps_site_elevation = {{convert|708|ft}}
| wind_site_usage =
| ps_site_area = {{convert|197|acre}}
| wind_offshore_depth =
| wind_offshore_distance =
| wind_hub_height = {{convert|58|m|order=flip}}
| wind_rotor_diameter = {{convert|70|m|order=flip}}
| wind_rated_speed =
| ps_units_operational = Eight
| ps_units_manu_model =
| ps_units_uc =
| ps_units_planned =
| ps_units_cancelled =
| ps_units_decommissioned=
| ps_thermal_capacity =
| ps_heating_capacity =
| ps_electrical_capacity = 16 MW
| ps_electrical_cap_fac =
| ps_storage_capacity =
| ps_annual_generation =
| website =
| extra =
}}
Knabs Ridge Wind Farm is an electricity generating site just south of the A59 road near to Felliscliffe, Kettlesing, North Yorkshire, England. It was the first wind farm to be built in North Yorkshire in over 15 years,{{cite news |title=Seven days in short |work=Sunday Sun Newcastle |date=11 November 2007|id={{ProQuest|350307667}} }} and was believed to be the first time that civilian air traffic was considered in the planning permission process.
History
The proposal to build a wind farm on the site was first unveiled in 2003 when 6,000 homes in the area were leafleted with information about the wind farm. At that early stage, many objections were registered, including one from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE).{{cite news |title=Mixed welcome to £8m wind farm at beauty spot |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/mixed-welcome-to-163-8m-wind-farm-at-beauty-spot-1-2528635 |access-date=7 September 2018 |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=24 September 2003}}
Planning consent for the wind farm was rejected by Harrogate Borough Council in November 2004. The management team at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA), whose runway is only {{convert|10|mi}} south of the site, stated that the farm would have a detrimental effect on air traffic control as it could create false indications of aircraft.{{cite news |title=Assembly to start on windfarm |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=26 October 2007|id={{ProQuest|335388180}} }} Other objectors pointed out that the site of was only {{convert|50|ft}} away from the Nidderdale AONB.{{cite news |title=Inquiry allows wind farm in Dales |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/4220742.stm |access-date=7 September 2018 |work=BBC News |date=6 September 2005}}{{cite news |title=Wind farm plans blown off course |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/3988705.stm |access-date=7 September 2018 |work=BBC News |date=7 November 2004}} Npower appealed against the decision and the application then went before a public enquiry,{{cite news |title=Wind farm plans in public inquiry |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/4738349.stm |access-date=7 September 2018 |work=BBC News |date=2 August 2005}} which gained government consent in September 2005. The objection by LBA towards the wind farm is believed to be the first time that civilian air traffic paths have featured in an onshore wind farm consent inquiry. The planning inspector also rejected the idea of affixing red lights to each tower as it was thought that they could interfere with drivers concentration on the adjacent A59 road.
Building of the £13 million wind farm {{convert|3|mi}} west of Harrogate in Felliscliffe by the A59 road,{{cite news |title=Beauty spot vulnerable to ravages of climate change |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=25 November 2006 |id={{ProQuest|335339074}} }} was started in March 2007, completed by the summer of 2008 with full commissioning of the site starting in November of the same year. The wind farm consists of eight towers which are {{convert|58|m|order=flip}} high, with the addition of the rotors, the full height that they extend to is {{convert|93|m|order=flip}}.{{cite web |title=Knabs Ridge Wind Farm |url=https://www.innogy.com/web/cms/mediablob/en/3167700/data/3167694/1/rwe-innogy/rwe-innogy-uk/sites/wind-onshore/united-kingdom/in-operation/summary/Click-here-to-read-the-Knabs-Ridge-Wind-Farm-fact-sheet.pdf |website=innogy.com |access-date=7 September 2018 |page=1}}{{cite news |last1=Gosden |first1=Emily |title=Innogy investigates cause of Yorkshire wind turbine blaze |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/01/09/innogy-investigates-cause-yorkshire-wind-turbine-blaze/ |access-date=7 September 2018 |work=The Telegraph |date=2017}} The site covers an area of {{convert|197|acre}} at an elevation of {{convert|708|ft}} above sea level, so they can be seen from some distance away.{{cite news |title=Airport concerned at wind farm application U-turn |url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8082289.Airport_concerned_at_wind_farm_application_U-turn/ |access-date=7 September 2018 |work=Bradford Telegraph and Argus |date=8 September 2005}}{{cite news |last1=Smithard |first1=Tom |title=Seeing red over a green dream |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/seeing-red-over-a-green-dream-1-2350282 |access-date=7 September 2018 |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=22 May 2009}}
Each generating unit was constructed by Senvion and is capable of generating 2 MW of power with the whole farm itself generating 16 MW in total.{{cite news |last1=Weston |first1=David |title=Innogy investigating turbine fire |url=https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/1420170/innogy-investigating-turbine-fire |access-date=7 September 2018 |work=Windpower Monthly |date=9 January 2017}}{{cite web |title=Knabs Ridge Wind Farm |url=https://www.industryabout.com/country-territories-3/1005-england/wind-energy/13657-knabs-ridge-wind-farm |website=www.industryabout.com |access-date=7 September 2018}} This provides enough electricity per year to power 7,000 homes and offsets over {{convert|23,000|tonne}} of carbon dioxide going into the environment on an annual basis.{{cite news |title=Work begins at Dales wind farm |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/6406867.stm |access-date=7 September 2018 |work=BBC News |date=1 March 2007}}
One of the turbines caught fire in January 2017 and had to be extinguished by North Yorkshire fire service. Each unit operates in tandem with three others (the Knabs Ridge site has eight units, which operate in two groups of four) which resulted in all four generating units being turned off.{{cite news |last1=Windham |first1=Dan |title=Investigation launched after fire destroys 300ft wind turbine at Knabs Ridge |url=https://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/news/investigation-launched-after-fire-destroys-300ft-wind-turbine-at-knabs-ridge-1-8325147 |access-date=7 September 2018 |work=Harrogate Advertiser |date=9 January 2017}} Seven months after the fire, the owners were seeking to overturn a condition in the planning permission of the site that was set in 2005. If a turbine was to not generate power in over twelve months, then the owners are required to remove the tower and return the land to grazing purposes for cattle. By October 2017, the tower was still not active.{{cite news |title=Could time run out to repair a fire damaged wind turbine in Harrogate? |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=19 October 2017|id={{ProQuest|1953254704}} }}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commonscat|Knabs Ridge Wind Farm}}
- [https://www.innogy.com/web/cms/mediablob/en/3167700/data/3167694/1/rwe-innogy/rwe-innogy-uk/sites/wind-onshore/united-kingdom/in-operation/summary/Click-here-to-read-the-Knabs-Ridge-Wind-Farm-fact-sheet.pdf Key facts PDF sheet]
{{Electricity generation in Yorkshire and the Humber}}
{{Wind power in the United Kingdom}}
{{Wind power}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knabs Ridge}}
Category:Buildings and structures in North Yorkshire