Environment and Science Minister Lord de Mauley has visited a hotel located beside the River Windrush in Oxfordshire to officially switch on a new Archimedes Screw hydro-electric generator. The work involved in installing the giant turbine at the Old Swan & Minster Mill, on the banks of the River Windrush, was undertaken by Hallidays Hydropower. The project has been two years in the planning and construction, at a cost of £200,000. The hotel is the first in the country to install a giant turbine.

A significant green energy commitment, the "fish friendly" technology, has been selected for its low impact on the river's ecosystem and its efficient energy production. A fish pass has also been developed as part of the scheme to improve fish spawning grounds. Based on Archimedes' ancient screw pump design, the two by five meter screw is turned as water flows through it, activating the turbine and harnessing up to 87 per cent of the energy from the falling water. The technology enables the scheme to give a peak output of 10 kW and generate power of 48,000kwh/year.

The hotel has earned a strong reputation for its commitment to sustainability, but this high profile endorsement of design and engineering is indicative of a bigger trend towards ‘micro hydro'. The technology is winning attention and investment from landowners, businesses and communities across Britain, generating income through the Feed-in Tariff, cost savings in the face of continuing energy price rises and CO2 reductions.

Environment and Science Minister Lord de Mauley said: "The Mill will be powered by eco-friendly hydroelectric technology and joins 450 businesses and homes who have installed micro-hyro power since 2010. Developments like this are making an important contribution to decarbonizing the UK's energy mix - in the first quarter of 2014 hydo accounted for over 12 per cent of renewable electricity generated in the UK."

Hallidays Hydropower, established in the UK in 2007, is an award-winning hydropower company. It manages the complete development process from initial surveys through to commissioning, and offers owned or financed hydropower to help customers secure the ROI benefits of hydro at minimal risk. The company is technology agnostic, but specialises in the deployment of Archimedes Screws. It works with commercial businesses, land and property owners, communities and developers to reduce CO2 emissions and electricity prices through the generation of clean, emission-free power from water.

The Old Swan & Minster Mill is located in the historic village of Old Minster, between Witney and Burford.