Last updated at 12:42, Wednesday, 05 November 2008

ANOTHER supermarket giant is to put up a wind turbine at the site of its Barrow store.

FUTURE VIEW: A computer image of how the proposed Asda wind turbine will look SUBMITTED

Tesco installed a turbine on the car park of its Hindpool Road supermarket in January 2007.

Now Asda is planning to put one up on the site of its store on Walney Road.

The £55,000 turbine will be placed between its unmanned petrol station and the main road. It will be grey and white and stand almost 20m high.

But before pressing ahead with installing the turbine, Asda is seeking the go-ahead from the town hall.

A planning application for the windmill has been made to Barrow Borough Council.

Asda spokesman Philip Bartram said: “The turbine, if granted planning permission, will generate at least 50,000kw of electricity a year – enough to power 13-14 homes in the Barrow area.

“The electricity generated will be used directly by the store and will reduce our reliance on the National Grid.

“The turbine will be located within the existing Asda site – away from residential properties.

“We believe that our plans will be an asset to our store and clearly shows Asda’s determination to reduce our CO2 emissions and save energy. If we are granted planning permission, we can construct the turbine within four months.”

Tesco’s turbines have already had plenty of publicity, but not because of their green credentials. A number of seagulls have been killed by the turbine after flying into its blades.

But Mr Bartram said: “In terms of birds, there is a very, very small risk of a collision, probably about one a year.

“The RSPB states the biggest threat to bird populations is climate change and turbines are a good way of tackling this problem.”

First published at 11:43, Wednesday, 05 November 2008
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk