Spaans Babcock have been contracted to produce and install two screw generators for the Bedford Borough Council near Bedford, UK later this year. The preparatory work will start at the Boat Slide Weir Bridge later this summer.

The screws will generate energy from the River Great Ouse. The scheme includes a state-of-the-art Archimedes Screw Turbine, which could generate up to 180,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year, saving approximately 80,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

The project is an Invest-to-Save project, meaning the costs will be repaid through reducing energy costs and potentially the sale of electricity to the National Grid, before achieving an ongoing saving for the Council.