Work on the £2.5M (US$4M) Selset hydroelectric project will begin early in 2010. It will require integration with the existing water supply operations, improvement of an access road and construction of a powerhouse, to be built in the style of a Teesdale farm building in stone and with a pitched roof.
The water level of Selset reservoir will be lowered to facilitate safe working conditions during construction.
The new plant will add to Northumbrian Water’s hydro power plant at Kielder Water, Northern Europe’s largest man-made reservoir, which is also operated in partnership with RWE npower renewables.
