Ford's Third Wind Turbine in Dagenham Provides Green Power

There’s more than one way to cook your goose and there’s also more than one way to become a green carmaker. Ford and their construction workers have moved fast with this one, and now the Blue Oval’s Dagenham plant boasts a new, much larger wind turbine which was completed as the blades were lifted into place last week.

The third turbine to be commissioned at Dagenham is now contributing clean electricity to power engine production in the Ford Dagenham Diesel Centre (DDC).

Work started with the foundation in June, and construction of the tower and blades took just four days to finish. The main assembly was completed when the 82m-diameter windmill blades and hub were hoisted high into the air.  This was carried out by one of the UK's largest cranes, which was delivered to the site by four articulated trucks and itself required a 160-tonne crane to be assembled.

“Together with Ford, Ecotricity pioneered the use of wind to power the Dagenham Diesel Centre. We are really pleased to come back and build a third windmill so that the green energy supply keeps pace with the customer demand for Ford's most fuel-efficient diesel engines,” said Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity.

"The Ford Dagenham Diesel Centre is once again 100 per cent wind-powered.  Ford's plant building its lowest-CO2 diesel engines continues to be powered by renewable energy," added Chris Woolacott, Ford Dagenham Diesel Centre line manager.

This new addition will double the annual CO2 saving from 2,500 to 5,000 tonnes per year. The turbines convert wind energy into electricity to power production in the Dagenham Diesel Centre (DDC). Increased output at the factory required the installation of a third turbine to remain 100 percent wind powered.