After recent news about Toyota’s UK operation harnessing solar energy to power its production lines comes news of Ford’s growing dependence on wind energy.
Its largest, most powerful wind turbine was completed as the blades were lifted into place last week at its Dagenham, Essex UK, engine factory. The 394 ft. tall turbine, the third to be commissioned at Dagenham, is now contributing clean electricity to power engine production in the Ford Dagenham Diesel Centre (DDC).
Groundwork for the third wind turbine began in June and construction of the tower and blades took just four days to finish. The main assembly was completed when the 269 ft-diameter windmill blades and hub were hoisted 262 ft. into the air. This was carried out by one of the UK’s largest cranes, which was delivered to the site by four articulated trucks and itself required a 176-ton crane to be assembled.
Increased production at the DDC required the installation of a third turbine to avoid use of non-renewable forms of generated electricity.
Chris Woolacott, Ford Dagenham Diesel Center Line Manager, said: “The Ford Dagenham Diesel Centre is once again 100 percent wind-powered. Ford’s plant building its lowest-CO2 diesel engines continues to be powered by renewable energy.”
Total engine production at Ford Dagenham exceeds 38 million units.
The combined output of the three turbines is the equivalent of powering 3400 homes, saving over 5400 tons of CO2 yearly.
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