Hydropower Plant Installed at Low Wood Bay

In October 2021, we installed a hydropower system at Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa, enabling the hotel to generate renewable electricity using water from a fellside beck behind the property. The project formed part of our work to reduce the resort's environmental impact and reliance on electricity from the grid. Water is carried through an 860-metre pipeline from the fell above Low Wood Bay, with a vertical fall of approximately 90 metres and a flow of up to 79 litres per second. The fully automated turbine adjusts to the amount of water available, producing approximately 53–60kW and an estimated 180–200MWh of electricity annually. The turbine was housed in a Lakeland-style dry-stone building designed to fit its surroundings. At installation, the scheme was expected to provide around one-third of Low Wood Bay's electricity requirements. Subsequent figures show how electricity demand at the expanded resort has changed: in 2024 the turbine generated 209,269kWh, accounting for around 12% of the site's electricity consumption and saving approximately £36,000 in operating costs.