London Reignited Battersea Power Station Goes Green

<

span                            retail and office space, that
class="cap">After       will come inside the parameters
25 years off-line,              of the site, and stretch across 8
Battersea Power Station is due        million square metres. Included
for re-launch. On behalf of           in this proposal is the use of
systems manufacturer REO Ltd. and     the original Battersea Power
property developers Real Estate       Station as a space for
Opportunities, Treasury Holdings      accommodation and retail
Ltd. will redevelop the site so       outlets.

that it runs on clean fuel rather

There are also plans for a 6
than fossils fuels, as it did         acre public park and a 'riverside
when it closed in 1983. It is         walk' beside the Thames.

expected that the old building -

The two stations will work
famous for its four iconic            together, with the 300 metre
chimneys - will now be paired         solar chimney absorbing energy
alongside a new station with a        from the sun daily, and
300 metre chimney. The two            distributing it across the
stations will be combined so that     site.

the new station, powered by

It is expected that the new
biofuels and waste, will use the      design will reduce energy use in
old site as an output, releasing      the area by 67%.

left over water vapours from its

The announcements look
chimneys. It is estimated that        promising. But it is not the
the project will cost around £4       first time that there have been
billion, which will cover the         signs of redevelopment for the
costs of developing the new           old Battersea Power Station
station and renovating the old        site.

one.

Since it's closure in 1983,
The rest of the budget will be        several companies have bought and
spent on a new residential,           sold the area, each with its own

plans for the building.

history. But - with the

In 1984, a consortium              government announcing in June
including Alton Towers Ltd.           that it plans to have half of its
battled for the lease, gaining        renewable energy coming from
planning permission for their         biomass, plus the plans for on
proposals in 1986. From there         and offshore wind projects,
they began work on an indoor          coming this month - the new
theme park inside the old power       proposals will have the backing
station. Work ceased three years      of Westminster.

later due to lack of funds.

If the development plans are a

Once again the power station       success, the new chimney, which
laid dormant, until Parkview          equals the size of all the old
International bought out the          chimneys placed on top of one
site's outstanding debts, gaining     another, could well stand
the freehold title in 1996 and        shoulder to shoulder with
outright possession in 2003.          London's most celebrated
Their plan was not dissimilar         architectural landmarks.

from what is being proposed now:

Last year, progressive rock
to use the old station as a site      band Pink Floyd celebrated the
for restaurants, accommodation        30th anniversary of their album
and retail outlets.

Animals, which featured Battersea

In 2005, they declared that        Power Station on its front cover.
the chimneys were unsafe, and         When it comes to the 50th, the
irreparable. Again the site was       band could have the new solar
stagnant. It was a year later         chimney airbrushed on, taking
that the current companies bought     pride of place beside its older
the site from Parkview                sibling.

International.

That would be a good

Perhaps, then, the Battersea development.

Power Station site has an ominous     egend>About the

Authorsolar panels
id="authorbio"                        expert at EcoSwitch The
class="membersnoticewhite">Chris      environmental social
Woolfrey is the

href="http://ecoswitch.com/tags/r iv>

Published At: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=282305&ca=Internet

Got a question about this article? Ask the community!