BLOWN AWAY FROM COSTA

September 11 → 5:15 pm6:15 pm

Eoin F. Scott Lecture

Orkney Theatre, Kirkwall

It was the world’s first grid-connected wind turbine, located at Costa Head to catch the full force of the wind. The steel skeleton was in place at the time of the 1952 hurricane – and survived, though the wind speed broke the recording device at 125 mph. It survived the 1953 hurricane as well and in 1955 began putting electricity into the Orkney grid.

As the 50s went on, the world’s thoughts turned away from wind. But the Costa Head turbine showed what could be done and led the way for subsequent wind developments in Orkney and elsewhere.

Neil Kermode of EMEC looks at its story and significance, while archaeologist Dan Lee traces the clues from the remains.

Tickets £6 & £4 can be booked through this LINK.

– A short BBC film about the turbine from 12 December 1951:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/orkney-wind-power/zbkq92p

– An archive film about its construction:
https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/6387

– and an article full of information in The Orkney News:
https://theorkneynews.scot/2022/01/16/the-1955-costa-hill-wind-turbine/

Apologies due to copyright issues, we won’t be able to livestream the session. But the recording will be available soon after the Festival period

FOLLOWING THE FLETTS
ROBOTS AFTER DARK

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