Welcome to a virtual tour of the Blackstairs energy recovery water turbine. This system serves as a showcase of the potential for recovering electricity from existing water supply pipes instead of just dissipating it by means of a throttling valve. Here at Blackstairs, water is abstracted from a river intake at a higher elevation and is carried via a 2 km pipeline up to the raw water tank on top of which you are currently located.
Due to the altitude difference between the river intake and the tank, water traveling by gravity produces an excess pressure which is used to drive the turbine and generate power.
To proceed with the tour, please make your way to either the turbine floor, the control room or the river intake scenes by clicking on the ^ signs. Click and drag your mouse button to view the whole scene.
This project is a collaboration between Bangor University, Trinity College Dublin, and Blackstairs Group Water Scheme. It was made possible due to the support the ERDF Interreg Ireland-Wales Programme 2014-2020, through the Dŵr Uisce Project.