Said to be the biggest installation of its kind in Europe and the second in the UK, the floating solar power system on the town’s Godley reservoir is being developed with an investment of £3.5m
United Utilities plans to test and commission the 12-week project before Christmas 2015.
Featuring 12,000 panels, spread across an area of 45,500m2, the facility has been designed to reduce energy costs, and also to reduce maintain water bills for customers in future.
The company intends to use the 2.7GWh per year of renewable, zero carbon electricity generated from the new facility to power the site.
United Utilities renewable energy head Chris Stubbs said: "We have a target to generate 35% of our power requirements by 2020 and this project will make a significant contribution to that aim.
United Utilities expects the Godley reservoir to provide approximately 33% of its energy requirements to the water treatment works.
"While floating solar has been deployed elsewhere around the world, most notably in Japan, it is a new technology to the UK.
"Installations such as the Godley solar scheme will help us to keep energy costs and water customers’ bills low."
In 2014, Green energy developer Floating Solar UK launched the UK’s first floating solar panel system at Sheeplands farm in Berkshire.
Earlier this year, the UK government announced its plan to close or reduce subsidies to cut subsidies of the solar and biomass power plants in order to lower energy bills.
Photo: The new floating solar system on Godley reservoir is expected to reduce energy costs as well as water bills for customers in future. Photo: courtesy of United Utilities Group PLC.
