A THIRD hydro-electric plant planned for the River Weaver near Northwich is being consulted on by the Environment Agency.

Proposals for a turbine at Saltersford Locks, near Barnton, were approved by Cheshire West and Chester Council earlier this month, with an EA consultation launched on November 22.

The Archimedean Screw system will be sited within the sluice channel, almost 100 metres from the nearest house and enclosed within a sound-dampening control box.

Two other similar schemes – at Dutton and Anderton – have submitted by H2O Power Ltd since the summer and are awaiting CWAC planning decisions.

The EA is now consulting on whether to award H2O a licence to take water from the river.

A planning statement said: "The weight of water flowing through the Archimedean Screw will cause the screw to turn, thereby harnessing the energy in the water.

"The energy will be converted into electricity by the generator, which in turn will be exported to the National Grid via a buried cable to a point agreed with the Distribution Network Operator."

It added that there are no plans to alter the design of the sluice, and that a fence will be installed to stop public access to the machinery.

The maximum mean volume to be taken from the river at any one time is eight cubic metres per second.

The scheme has an estimated lifespan of 60 years, and could generate enough energy to save around 457 tonnes of CO2 per year.

A consultation runs until December 20 online here.