Royal Navy base goes off-grid with one-of-a-kind wind turbine system

The Royal Navy’s headquarters in Liverpool has installed the first wind turbine of its kind in Europe.

The turbine, referred to as a “turbine in a box,” has won an environmental award and is the first step in taking HMS Eaglet “off the grid.”

The turbine is expected to generate its own electricity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, saving thousands of pounds a year.

The building, located at Brunswick Dock, is home to the Navy’s Regional Commander for the North-West and staff, as well as the area’s Royal Navy and Royal Marines Reserves among 15 sub-units.

The wind-powered microgrid, positioned on the roof of Eaglet, is developed by Hover Energy.

The system can generate up to 100,000kWh of electricity a year and can store and “combine” renewable electricity with power from the main grid simultaneously.

Other energy-saving measures introduced in the building include “air to air” source heating, “air-to-water” heat pumps, energy-efficient controls, heat reclaim to the ventilation system, heat pumps throughout the building to heat/cool it, LED lights activated by motion sensors, and improved insulation.

Eaglet was built in the 1990s, and the building needed upgrading, as the Navy strives for net zero emissions and reduced reliance on fossil fuels.

The wind turbine and air source heat pumps have reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 17 and 9 tonnes a year respectively, generating nearly two-thirds of the energy the site consumes.

The initiatives will save taxpayers money and provide energy security at the MOD site, said Colonel Mark Underhill of NW RFCA.