New wind turbine installed at lookout station

A £17,000 wind generator has been installed at a lookout station in Cornwall and now supplies it with a source of off-grid power.

The National Coastwatch Institution's St Agnes station suffered significant damage during multiple storms at the end of 2023, sparking a fundraising campaign for a refurbishment programme.

St Agnes head station manager Mark Weston said the installation was only possible after a successful application for a grant from Cornwall Council.

He also praised the "generous offers of support" from local companies and the community.

"Our station is very exposed and takes a real battering from the weather, with vital equipment and many wind turbines being lost over the years," he said.

"By the end of 2023, our previous wind turbine and solar panels were damaged beyond repair, leaving us barely able to function.

"We have had a fantastic response to our pleas for help and we are now seeing the transformation taking place."

Mr Weston described the technology as "game-changing" after it survived storms the previous technology would not have.

National Coastwatch is a charity staffed and managed by volunteers whose mission is to help to save lives at sea and around the UK coastline by keeping watch and monitoring radio channels in poor visibility.

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