Glastonbury festival has its very own wind turbine, after a new pink and purple device was installed at Worthy Farm by Octopus Energy last week.
The turbine can produce up to 300 kWh of energy each day – the equivalent of powering 300 fridges – and will provide energy via a microgrid to feed the festival’s 200,000 attendees.
While this year’s festivalgoers and iconic headliners Elton John, Lizzo, Blondie and the Arctic Monkeys will be able to benefit from the mighty turbine, communities across the UK could also play host to their own in a ‘try before you buy’ scheme.
The initiative lets communities register their interest in temporarily hosting a wind turbine before making a firm decision.
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“We agreed the Glastonbury turbine only a few weeks ago. It took just two weeks to build the parts and a single day to get the turbine up and spinning. That’s how fast green energy can get done when people work together,” the energy provider tweeted.
We agreed the @Glastonbury turbine only a few weeks ago. It took just 2 weeks to build the parts and a single day to get the turbine up and spinning.
That’s how fast green energy can get done when people work together. pic.twitter.com/KQZssEiU47
— Octopus Energy (@OctopusEnergy) June 13, 2023
Octopus founder and ceo Greg Jackson said: “I am excited to be able to not only generate green energy at the festival, but to work together for the long term too.”
It is just one of several sustainability measures the festival, whose Green Fields Area has run on solar, wind and pedal power since 1984, has taken – including compost loos and banning the sale of single-use plastic drinks.
This year Glastonbury organisers also asked those heading to the staple music event not to bring disposable vapes, amid environmental and health concerns about the cigarette alternatives.
