Naval Base uses wind power to promote energy saving
13 Nov 09
A wind turbine made from recycled drinks cans is being used at the Naval Base in Devonport to encourage staff to 'go green'.
Mechanical Engineering Graduate Becky Winston puts the finishing touches to one of the recycled drinks cans wind turbine blades in the workshop at Devonport Naval Base
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
The Ministry of Defence, Babcock and other commercial partners asked workers at Devonport during the recent Energy Savings Week to voluntarily make personal pledges to reduce CO2 emissions to support those already taken on a larger organisational scale.
Chris Piper, Babcock Energy and Utilities Operations Manager, explained:
"Raising awareness is an important aspect of managing energy consumption. The communication programme is highlighting energy issues, including the environmental and cost implications across the whole site, and what better way to promote the energy message than by using 'green' power generated by wind."
A trailer-mounted wind turbine made of recycled parts, including drinks cans, is one of the projects that has been devised at Devonport. It will be used to illuminate a sign to remind everyone that they work in an energy smart site, helping promote Babcock's and the MOD's ongoing drive to reduce energy consumption at the base.
The Babcock workers with the trailer-mounted wind turbine made as part of an energy saving initiative at Devonport Naval Base
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
The turbine has been manufactured by Babcock's latest group of newly-recruited graduates as part of their initial training at City College, Plymouth.
Their remit was to design and manufacture a striking-looking structure from recycled materials at minimum cost. They came up trumps on all counts.
The graduates raided the college recycling plant and collected more than 300 drinks cans which they cut in half to laminate into two six-foot (1.8-metre) blades, custom-made their own generator, mainly from bike parts, and rebuilt an obsolete MOD aerial trailer for a mobile base.
Project Manager, Mechanical Engineering Graduate Ben Fowkes, said:
"It's been a great challenge and we're all delighted that our work will be on permanent display at Devonport."
The project has also given the 13 graduates from different backgrounds plenty of scope to learn new engineering skills on the lathes and milling machines in the training workshops.
Commodore Ian Jess, Naval Base Commander Devonport (left), makes his pledge to save energy
[Picture: LA(Phot) Dan Hooper, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
They also carried out welding tasks, crafting a mould ready to take the patchwork of cans.
John Meaken, Devonport Naval Base Engineering and Support Manager, said:
"Only by working closely together will Babcock, the MOD and the Royal Navy be able to deliver against very challenging energy saving targets.
"The long term future of the Naval Base has been reinforced by a recent government review and further opportunity now exists to integrate the business needs of the partners and reduce the site and associated energy carbon footprint."
The Naval Base has already reduced electricity consumption by more than £1m in the last two years, water consumption has dropped by 33 per cent in the same period, and CO2 emissions have dropped by five per cent, or 3,183 tonnes, in a year.
More than £50,000 has been invested in advanced electricity metering and waste heat energy monitoring by infrared cameras, while compressed air use which uses a huge amount of energy has been reduced by 20 per cent in the past year.