Olympic park wind turbine scheme scrapped
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Your support makes all the difference.Plans to build a wind turbine, dubbed the Angel of Leyton, at the Olympic Park have been scrapped, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) announced today.
The turbine had been billed as a green beacon, with the aim of helping deliver 20% of the Olympic Park's legacy energy needs from renewable sources from 2014 onwards.
But David Higgins, chief executive of the ODA, which is in charge of Olympic build and infrastructure, said the scheme is "no longer feasible".
New wider safety legislation, which led to design changes, plus the "challenging" delivery timetable put the project in doubt.
The preferred bidder's turbine supplier pulled out, saying it felt unable to comply with the new regulations before the Games, and there was little commercial interest elsewhere.
The turbine, set for Eton Manor in the north of the park, was to have played a key role in delivering renewable energy to the site and be a visible symbol of London 2012's commitment to deliver a truly sustainable Games.
Mr Higgins said: "We have carried out an exhaustive process with the industry and suppliers over the last two years to find a viable way of delivering a wind turbine on the Olympic Park site.
"However, the industry environment has changed and that means the project is no longer feasible.
"We have a strong track record in sustainability and we remain committed to meeting the challenging renewable energy targets we have set ourselves.
"Our focus is now on researching a number of alternative renewable energy options across the Olympic Park site to help contribute to these targets and complement the other state-of-the art new energy infrastructure we are building."
The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 (CSL), the sustainability watchdog for the 2012 Games, stressed the ODA must still meet the agreed carbon emissions reduction targets.
The watchdog backed the decision provided that the targets are met by alternative means, according to CSL chair Shaun McCarthy.
He said: "The symbolic power of a wind turbine at the park, whilst valuable, does not outweigh the considerations of the optimal use of resources."
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