Latest Ecotricity Wind Turbine Goes Up at Green Park

14th November 2005

The final phase of construction of Europe 's most visible wind turbine was completed yesterday (Sunday 13th November) in an innovative partnership to generate renewable energy at a Reading business park.

The hub and blades were set in place over the weekend, bringing the final and most dramatic phase of construction to completion. The 2MW state of the art Ecotricity turbine becomes one of the largest land-based wind turbines in the UK , soaring above junction 11 of the busy M4 motorway, and offering over 60 million people a year an inspiring view of a cleaner future.

The wind power project, an innovative partnership between Ecotricity and Prudential Property Investment Managers Ltd (PruPIM), will generate 4.5 million units (kWh) of green electricity every year when it is switched on later this week. This is just the latest example of Ecotricity's campaign to bring clean electricity to the people. Now up to 1,500 local homes and businesses will be able to get their supply from the appropriately named GreenPark turbine.

Ecotricity is an electricity supplier (in fact the oldest independent in the UK ) that builds wind turbines to supply clean energy to its thousands of customers across the country. Ecotricity is dedicated to fighting climate change through building attractive and sensitively sited wind parks. The Green Park turbine demonstrates Ecotricity's preference to site turbines in commercial locations rather than areas of natural beauty.

Dale Vince OBE , founder of Ecotricity, commented:

“There are many myths about what it takes for a business to become truly green, and our Green Park project will be an important example for other organisations, leaving the arguments against dead in the water. Coming hot on the heels of our merchant wind projects with Sainsbury's, Ford, the Co-op, Michelin and Manchester City Football Club, now the Prudential will also have peace of mind knowing they're a part of a growing movement to do something about climate change.

“We're always thrilled to be building, and this project is particularly exciting because we're able to bring wind turbines to people in such a visible way. In our experience, the sight of a real turbine in action makes people think about where their energy comes from, and helps them understand the link to fighting climate change. I'm also really pleased to be able to bring clean, green electricity to 1,500 local homes and businesses.”

PruPIM's Tim Davis said: “We believe that GreenPark is the first business park in the country with a wind turbine on this scale. This is a great example of PruPIM supporting the current debate on sustainability and putting it into practice. It puts Green Park - and Reading – at the forefront of contemporary thinking.”

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Notes to Editors

For press enquiries please contact the Press Office on 01453 769318 or email: press.office@ecotricity.co.uk

• Ecotricity founder, Dale Vince, is a well known environmental campaigner and commentator. In 2004 he was awarded the OBE for services to the environment and sits on the Government's Renewables Advisory Board.

• Ecotricity founded the green energy movement in 1995, and has grown to become Europe 's leading independent electricity company, supplying homes and businesses across the UK .

• Ecotricity believes that only by continuously building new sources of green energy can we make a real impact on the root causes of climate change in the UK . By changing where our electricity comes from, carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels can be reduced.

• Using existing cables and meters Ecotricity can supply any home or business in mainland UK . It also guarantees to match the price of local suppliers so switching to green energy needn't cost more.

• Prudential Property Investment Managers Ltd (PruPIM) is part of M&G, the investment arm of Prudential plc in the UK and Europe, and is one of the largest property investors in the UK with over £14.8bn invested in a broad spread of properties across all UK sectors and overseas (as at 31.12.04). PruPIM manages over 1,000 investment properties within 14 portfolios, ranging in size up to £10.3 billion and including Reading 's Green Park.