Walmart, the US retail giant that owns Asda, has unveiled its first large scale wind turbine project.
It has chosen its distribution centre at Red Bluff, California for the project.
When it becomes operational in the autumn it is expected to provided about one megawatt of power – almost 20 per cent of the distribution centre’s yearly electrical use.
Should the technology at Red Bluff prove successful, Walmart will evaluate the potential for large-scale turbine installations at other distribution centre sites.
“We are using every tool in the tool box as we work toward our goal to be supplied by 100 per cent renewable energy, and wind energy is an attractive technology for Walmart,” said Greg Pool, senior manager of renewable energy and emissions at Walmart and project manager of the Red Bluff installation.
“We found the perfect environment for an installation with the Red Bluff project – good wind conditions and open land that we own. As a result, we expect to reduce our energy costs from the day we flip the on switch.”
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The Red Bluff wind turbine has a tower height of 265 feet and a and a blade diameter of 250 feet – approximately equal to the height of a 20-story building.
Walmart currently has 180 renewable energy projects in operation, including 14 stores in Northern Ireland supplied by wind power providing 100 per cent of the electricity needs for those stores.
