Background to the hydro
The first community-owned hydro scheme on the Thames
The hydro was commissioned at the end of January 2015. It became fully operational in May 2015 following the completion of the fish pass.
The hydro stands on a small island next to the Thames towpath just north of Osney Lock. It is positioned in a channel running to the west of this island, and shares the channel with one of six weirs in the Osney Lock area. The land is owned by the Environment Agency (EA) and our initial lease is for 40 years.
The hydro site is generally open for you to enjoy, 10am–5pm Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. We can also offer group tours.
Performance
Osney Lock Hydro is predicted to generate more than 179,000kWh of clean electricity each year. That’s enough electricity to power more than 60 typical homes.