Bindon Mill Hydro-Turbine, Wool

The River Frome passes through the historic Bindon Mill, on the Lulworth Estate in Dorset. The installation of a 20kW screw turbine was estimated to save 40 tonnes of CO2 per year, making the site a net exporter of electricity to the grid.

Suttle Projects were contracted to set up the site and provide a stone haul road access, including two temporary plant bridges, with 7m and 14m spans respectively.

Suttle Projects designed and installed a temporary sealed sheet piled cofferdam to enable the excavation and muck away, which was undertaken by our colleagues at Suttle Stone Quarries. This was followed by the construction of a reinforced concrete channel, for the installation of a screw turbine.

The hydro-turbine structure at Bindon Mill was constructed with a bespoke fish pass channel. This included a fish ladder for salmonoid species, and specialist plastic tiles to promote the passage of eels. Measures like this are a vitally important introduction to manmade river structures, to promote stocks of migratory species throughout the length of rivers. All of the works were carried out in accordance with the Environment Agency’s strict PPG Guidelines.