Naquada

So I can now see the wind turbine they are building at Green Park from my bedroom window. Its actually quite impressive, measuring in at over 85 metres high, and a rotor diameter of 70 metres.

Apparently its now in the final stages, originally set to take 2 days to put the hub and blades in place, although the high winds of the last few days have meant that they cannot safely place the rotor arms onto the hub. The turbine itself will be producing about 4.5 million kWh’s enough to power almost 1,500 local homes and businesses.

The turbine itself will be the most visible wind turbine in the UK, a somewhat dull fact, in that it will be viewed by about 60 million people a year as they pass by junction 11 of the M4. Although I’m not keen on the idea of them lighting it up at night as a ’sculpture’..

Green park is also home to these little critters, the Reading water vole society. Obviously they didn’t get much say in the planning application, being water voles and all, but they are being safeguarded by Prudential’s Landscape Management team.

A small family of water voles are being encouraged (with what I have no idea) to move into a much improved ditch a few metres from their current habitat.. Although I’m not sure what they are going to think of the rotor arms whizzing past their ears.. ‘It didn’t say anything about rotor arms in the brochure..’