| World news UK Planning application submitted for Toddbrook Reservoir repair


In a major step forward in the restoration of Toddbrook Reservoir in Whaley Bridge, the Canal & River Trust charity has confirmed that it has submitted a planning application for its permanent repair. The Trust, which cares for the reservoir and 2000 miles of


waterways across England and Wales, has applied to High Peak Borough Council for permission to replace the 1970s-built spillway, damaged following torrential rain in summer 2019, with a new overflow structure to the north of the dam which will funnel away excess water when the reservoir is full. The application for the new structure includes building a new


overflow side channel weir, ‘tumble bay’, spillway channel and stilling basin which links to the existing bypass channel before flowing into the River Goyt in the town’s Memorial Park. The planning application also includes a proposal to replace the


current sailing club facilities, which will be impacted by the new spillway. Plans feature a new clubhouse, boat storage, slipway and car park, located on a site behind the proposed tumble bay. The repair project is estimated to cost in the region of £12 - £16 million. Subject to planning permission, work is due to start in spring 2022 and is expected to take about two years to complete, with the reservoir re-opening to the public in summer 2024. Feedback from two public consultations influenced several design


features to reduce the visual impact of the new concrete structures. These include the addition of natural stone cladding to most exterior side walls above ground level and ensuring wall heights are kept as


low as possible. There was also a public wish to see water constantly flowing down the spillway channel instead of it being predominantly dry and this has been achieved by connecting the top of the tumble bay into the existing reservoir bypass channel. The 1970s overflow spillway overlooking the park, which was damaged in summer 2019, will be de-commissioned, the concrete panels removed and the dam slope grassed over. The original 1840s spillway, near the existing sailing club, will also be removed and some of the stone reclaimed and re-used as cladding on the exterior walls of the new structures. The Trust has been working closely with engineering and consultancy firm Arup to prepare the detailed plans after carrying out extensive technical investigations and design work. The construction project will be delivered by the Trust’s main contractor Kier. Toddbrook Reservoir, which supplies water to the Peak Forest and Macclesfield canals, has been out of action and almost empty of water since the spillway was damaged after excessive rainfall in July 2019. Last summer, ahead of the permanent repair, the Trust and its contractors Kier carried out works to make safe the damaged spillway and add a protective waterproof nib to the dam crest. The major construction project on the dam will be followed by works to the inlet cascade, at the far end of the reservoir, to increase its resilience to high flows from the Todd Brook stream. High volume pumps will remain in the reservoir to manage water levels until the end of the restoration project.


Global Voith to acquire Siemens stake in Voith Hydro Voith Group is to take complete ownership of Voith Hydro after agreeing to acquire Siemens Energy’s 35% stake in the hydropower business. The firms came to a mutual agreement on


21 October regarding the buyout of Siemen’s stake in the former Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation GmbH & Co. KG, expected to close at the end of Q1 2022. Voith said the move supports its ongoing strategy to strengthen the core business in the field of sustainable technologies, and will allow the company to consistently benefit from the growing role of hydroelectric power in the renewable energy mix. “For a few years now, our strategy has been to


tap into promising business fields in connection with the megatrends of digitalization and decarbonization and expanding our core business in this direction,” said Dr. Toralf Haag, President and CEO of Voith Group. “After a number of strategic acquisitions in our Paper and Turbo Group Divisions, we are pleased that with complete ownership of Voith Hydro, we will be able to drive the expansion of hydropower even further in the future.” “The hydropower business has been a main


pillar of Voith Group for more than 140 years,” added Uwe Wehnhardt, President and CEO of Voith Hydro. T’oday, it is considered to be the backbone of renewable energies and plays a


key role in the decarbonization of our society in many regions of the world because of its grid-stabilizing effect. We, therefore, see great potential for sustainable profitable growth in Voith Hydro.” Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation GmbH & Co. KG was established back in 2022 as a joint venture to bundle the turbine knowledge of Voith with the generator know- how of Siemens in order to offer the entire power unit for hydroelectric power plants from a single source. Today, Voith Hydro is a complete provider of “water to wire” solutions which means the original joint venture structure has little relevance for business operations anymore. There will be no personnel changes in the division’s management nor elsewhere at Voith Hydro, said the company.


Europe World’s longest subsea electricity interconnector commissioned The UK and Norway are now able to share their hydropower and wind energy for the first time, as the world’s longest subsea electricity interconnector begins commercial operations. The €1.6 billion North Sea Link (NSL) – a


joint venture between the UK’s National Grid and Norwegian system operator Statnett – is a 450-mile cable, which connects Blyth in Northumberland with the Norwegian village of Kvilldal, near Stavanger. It will start with a


maximum capacity of 700MW and gradually increase to the link’s full capacity of 1400MW over a three-month period. Once at full capacity, NSL will provide enough clean electricity to power 1.4 million homes. NSL has taken six years to build. Laying of the undersea cables began in 2018 and more than four million working hours have been spent on the project, including 5880 working days at sea. Norwegian power generation is sourced from


hydropower plants, which can respond faster to fluctuations in demand compared to other major generation technologies. However, as the water level in reservoirs is subject to weather conditions, production varies throughout seasons and years.


When wind generation is high and electricity demand low in Britain, NSL will enable renewable power to be exported from the UK, conserving water in Norway’s reservoirs. When demand is high in Britain and there is low wind generation, hydropower can be imported from Norway, helping to ensure secure, affordable and sustainable electricity supplies for UK consumers. “The UK has a strong energy bond with Norway that goes back decades. North Sea Link is strengthening that bond and enabling both nations to benefit from the flexibility and energy security that interconnectors provide,” commented UK Energy, Clean Growth and Climate Change Minister Greg Hands. “As we prepare to host the UN COP26 summit, this


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