The dream of the Yorkshire Dales National Park’s first community hydro is becoming a reality thanks to the hard work and dedication of people who are passionate about the environment in Bainbridge.

Specifically set up for the purpose of generating hydro electricity, the River Bain Hydro Ltd plans to install a 45kW plant which will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 40 houses and save around 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, or 3,000 tonnes over an expected lifetime of 40 years.

The hydro project is a natural extension of the Raydale Project- a community-led scheme set up to deal with issues of climate change and manage the considerable assets of Raydale in a sustainable manner.

“We attended one of the free workshops run by H2oPE – instigators of the UK’s first community-funded hydro schemes in New Mills, Derbyshire and in Settle, here in North Yorkshire – “ explains Yvonne Peacock. “It seemed like a brilliant idea. A scheme that would be owned by the local community, providing an opportunity for fair social investment with any surplus funds being put back into the Raydale Project and other community and environmental projects.”

Steve Welsh of H2oPE, a social enterprise whose aim is to set up small-scale hydropower projects that benefit both the environment and local communities, explained the technical aspects of the scheme.

“We use centuries’ old technology – the Archimedean screw – but it’s installed upside down, so that water flows down the screw, turns the turbine and generates electricity. It’s simple and proven to work. We hope this will be the first of many community-hydros to be installed with the Yorkshire Dales National Park, it just needs a local group with the same foresight and vision as the original Raydale Project members.”

The River Bain Hydro Ltd will launch a share offer in April. Shares cost £1 each with a minimum shareholding of £250. It will be an Industrial and Provident Society for the Benefit of the Community and will be run on a one-member-one-vote basis, regardless of the size of shareholding. Anyone wishing to attend the launch should contact Yvonne Peacock on 01969650409. Details will be posted on the website www.h2ope.co.uk