Published at 19:40, Thursday, 15 May 2008

MARYPORT’S Netherhall School officially switched on its new wind turbine this week.

It is estimated it will save £1,800 a year in electricity bills.

Headteacher David Sibbit led an opening ceremony attended by year seven pupils.

Mr Sibbit said: “The youngsters here know it’s their world in the future. They know that resources like oil and coal aren’t going to last but wind is probably going to blow forever.”

A brake on the turbine was then released by Tony Jenkin-Jones, community relations executive for E.on, which is the company building the Robin Rigg offshore wind farm off Maryport and which helped to fund the device with the Carbon Trust.

Mr Jenkin-Jones said: “It is very much about education and providing something for the community. It’s an opportunity for people to learn about the issues facing us.”

Ian Johnson, senior project manager for the Robin Rigg wind farm, said: “This is a great link between what we’re doing in the Solway and how people can play their part in the community.”

The wind turbine - one of the largest erected at any school in Cumbria - will have an estimated output of 6,500 KWH a year which translates to a saving of 2.795 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

It will provide sustainable energy for the school’s community sports hall and floodlit artificial pitches.

The subsequent fuel saving will go towards the public cost of using the facilities.

Ian Skillen, the school’s leadership advisor, said they were spurred into action after discovering how much electricity the school used overnight.

He added: “Anyone using the facility will see the school is trying to provide fitness and health with green issues at heart.”

The turbine, beside the school’s artificial pitches, can be seen from the school’s science laboratories where a display board showing wind speed will be positioned.

Any surplus energy produced during the summer may be fed back into the national grid.

Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk