[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Here in New York we have done quite well with power produced by our > > canal system.Most of the power is produced at locks. However our canal > > is about 20 feet deep and 70 feet wide and in some places as much as > > 60 feet of water is behind the lock walls so there is plenty of force > > there to push turbines. Wih british canals being smaller is there such > > a thing as Mini-Hydro Power to Generate Electricity....And by the way > > the USA Exports Coal to Great Britain..I know because See the trains > > go thru onthe way to the port.
We asked the Environment Agency if they'd considered installing hydro power plants to generate electricity to operate the guillotine lock gates on the Nene, given that (a) they are most of the way through a programme of converting them all to electric power from hand operation (b) what is slowing things down is the work and expense involved in running power supplies out to the more remote locations and (c) being a river navigation there will be an adequate supply of water. Their reply was that they had done a little investigation but found that installing hydro power is still too expensive to be economic - although it may come down in future. A few years ago they did try solar power. Or it may have been wind power, I can't remember. But the problem is the same with both: given our unreliable climate it meant a sizeable bank of batteries to equalise the irregular power supply with the demand. And 36 hours after it was installed, somebody broke in and stole the batteries. Martin L
