Potential gold mine for water power generation

From: Matthew Shaw, Golcar, Huddersfield.

IN his excellent letter “Ditch dredging and the power of common sense” (Yorkshire Post, January 18), Keith Bagot 
bemoans the lack of hydro-electric generation from Yorkshire rivers and the 
ruining of our countryside with giant steel towers with rotating blades.

Unfortunately, unlike the Scottish Highlands, here in Yorkshire we lack the plunging mountain sides required for viable hydro plants.

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However, the Pennines are 
still a potential gold mine for water-powered electric generation.

With up to 60 inches of rainfall per year, fresh water is no doubt one of our region’s greatest natural assets.

The upper reaches of the Colne Valley are not only a great place to stretch the legs and take in the fresh air, but also a place to marvel at the engineering genius of the Victorians.

Using a largely unseen 
labyrinth of catchment drains, conduits, culverts, pipes and sluices, water flowing off the 
high moors is captured in 
a series of storage reservoirs, holding back an unimaginable volume of Pennine water.

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This water could have another useful role on its journey to our taps, to be forced though a series of turbines to create hydro-electricity.

A pumped storage system would enable surplus water 
to be returned to the upper 
reservoirs during off-peak demand.

It would be a local, green revolution in power generation that Yorkshire Water should be 
eager to exploit.

Using their new advertising campaign featuring somebody enjoying a bath under the banner “The Yorkshire water that warms itself” would certainly tick a 
whole series of boxes.