Dragon's Teeth

Torfaen County Borough Council

Blaenavon
Wales
NP4 8SJ

25 kW

September 2011

Installed by Pico Energy Ltd, this scheme has been commissioned by the Forgotten Landscapes Partnership which is a project celebrating heritage and industry in the landscape around the former colliery town of Blaenavon in South Wales.

The scheme makes use of water channelled into a river diversion which prevents landscape erosion. The series of cascading concrete weirs controlling the flow are known locally as the 'Dragon's Teeth'!  The hydropower scheme diverts water from the top of the channel into a penstock pipe which then connects with a crossflow turbine at the base of the hill 280 metres away.

The intake design is incorporated into the existing channel and includes a 'coanda' type screen to filter out any debris. A modem link to the control system in the powerhouse enables scheme operation which can be checked via the internet so that energy generation can be monitored and any faults quickly monitored.

The scheme exports up to 25kW to a dedicated grid connection in Blaenavon. The proceeds from the scheme will support further initiatives in the local community.