Radyr weir hydro scheme (geograph 5112329)

Radyr Hydro Scheme is a 400kW small-scale

hydroelectric station Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

located in

Radyr Radyr ( cy, Radur) is an outer suburb of Cardiff, about northwest of Cardiff city centre. Radyr is part of Radyr and Morganstown Community, for which the 2011 Census recorded a population of 6,417. Morganstown is north of Radyr, on the othe ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, Wales. The scheme makes use of the roughly 3.5m height difference created by

Radyr Weir Radyr ( cy, Radur) is an outer suburb of Cardiff, about northwest of Cardiff city centre. Radyr is part of Radyr and Morganstown Community, for which the 2011 Census recorded a population of 6,417. Morganstown is north of Radyr, on the other ...

to push water through two , Archimedes screw turbines. The scheme was constructed in 2015 by

Dawnus Dawnus was a British construction company. Established in 2001 the company grew rapidly in the early 2000s but collapsed into administration in 2019. The company had operations in the United Kingdom and West Africa. History Dawnus was founded ...

, being designed by Renewables First and operated by

Cardiff Council Cardiff Council, formally the County Council of the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Cyngor Sir Dinas a Sir Caerdydd) is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The principal area and its council were established ...

. During construction a temporary fish ladder was installed as construction work was likely to coincide with the peak of the upstream migration of salmon. Cardiff Council built the scheme to supply renewable electricity to 550 homes as part of a commitment to lower

carbon emissions Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities strengthen the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change. Most is carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. The largest emitters include coal in China and larg ...

and help Cardiff become a "one planet city" by 2050.

References

{{coord, 51.5194, -3.2538, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Hydroelectric power stations in Wales