A LONG-AWAITED hydro-electric scheme in Oxford weir should finally be generating power later this year.

Work restarted on Monday on the turbine at Osney Lock on the Thames in West Oxford.

But the £500,000 turbine – paid for by a share offer – will not start generating electricity until the end of the autumn.

The power plant was originally due to be running by the spring but work was held up.

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The Environment Agency was unable to progress with the scheme for a spring start because of the January and February floods.

Osney Lock Hydro then said in August they were hoping to start this month.

Barbara Hammond, who is heading the scheme, said: “It’s all taken a bit longer than we wanted it to because we are a volunteer group. We hope to be generating electricity by the end of the autumn.”

She said the original delays stemmed from the Environment Agency’s heavy involvement with flood response last winter.

The 11.5-tonne steel turbine Archimedes screw – central to the scheme – was fitted in March.

The second and final phase of the project will see a turbine house built on the site to enclose the screw.

Saskya Huggins, Osney Lock Hydro director said: “We’ll also carry out the vital electrical work to enable us to start generating electricity.

“All being well, we should start generating by the end of the autumn.”

The powerhouse will protect the screw’s control panel from the weather and will be fitted with solar panels.

The turbine will generate 179,000kwh a year – enough to power over 50 homes.

It is hoped the project will generate a total of £2m over 40 yearsfor low-carbon projects in Oxford from selling energy to the national grid.

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