Once commissioned, the two Archimedes Screw hydropower turbines will produce 300Kw/h of electricity, which will be fed direct to Windsor Castle, with any surplus being fed back on to the grid. This is the first hydropower installation on the River Thames, and the four metre diameter turbines are the largest Archimedes screws in the UK.

The Deputy Treasurer at the Royal Household said: "The Royal Household is constantly looking at new ways of saving and supplying energy so as to remain as environmentally friendly as possible well into the future. Accordingly, the Household was very keen to support this project. Once completed, it is hoped that the scheme will supply half of Windsor's electricity."

Prior to installing the turbines, the weir, which is 214 years old, had to be modified to make room for the installation. Two weir gates were removed completely and the weir walls were modified to ensure the two giant turbines, and the troughs they sit in, could be installed. Now with the turbines in situ, work continues to fix the turbines in place, and it is hoped they will be fully up and running in the New Year.

Jackson Contracts Director Brian Crofton said: "We are delighted to be involved with this scheme. Hydropower definitely has a place in the UK's future energy mix and we hope to be involved in more schemes going forward. From an engineering point of view, this project has been fantastic; it's always good to see our industry being involved in new projects where we are combining innovation with existing assets on our rivers to create renewable energy for the future."

To view a video regarding this project from Energy Live News click here

The road, which cost £20m to build, has been under construction for two years and included the construction of two bridges, one over Milton Creek and the other over the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway line. Jackson Regional Manager Rupert Chitty said: "This project has been a real technical and engineering challenge, with so many potential problems along the route, so to have succeeded in opening the road on schedule and within the original budget is a huge achievement for the Jackson, Kent and Jacobs site teams who have worked together so well and delivered a project which we are all very proud of."

The project is part of a wider relief road project for Sittingbourne aimed at reducing traffic in the town centre and bringing forward regeneration. Cllr Ben Stokes, Mayor of Swale Borough Council said: "The Eurolink Industrial Estate is vital to local businesses and employs over 6,000 people, so to improve its links with the wider UK road network has been a goal of ours for a number of years."

Put simply, the interceptors are large tanks situated underground, which collect contaminated water and separate out oils and fuel, to prevent these substances from flowing into watercourses. When it rains, the surface water runs into the tanks and is allowed to settle. The fuels and oils in the water are collected and separated and then the clean water is allowed to flow out.

The harbour is situated on very dense sand and therefore, coffer dams were used to ensure that when the holes were dug, the walls didn't collapse. The tanks are situated well below sea-level and as the sea is not very far away, pumps had to be installed within the coffer dams to keep the water out. Three of the four interceptors have now been installed and the fourth is due to go in at the end of November.

Used an average of five times per year, to protect the city from tidal surges, the barrier required extensive repair works to the glazing to bring it up to standard.

Working in conjunction with our sister company SEH BAC, a double–glazing specialist, we have been replacing the window mullions which hold the glass in place, and have become corroded over time. Although the process of replacing the mullions is quite straightforward, the Barrier is over 35m high so the job has required a great deal of scaffolding. As well as working at height, the team also had to take into account the risks of working over a river, and therefore had to adapt their health and safety strategy to ensure that everyone was kept safe.

The glazing runs up both towers and along the top of the barrier, and there were 88 2m long mullions to replace. The team has now completed the East tower and started to remove the scaffolding and is due to complete the West tower in mid November.

Romney Weir is situated a stone's throw away from Windsor Castle, so the electricity generated by the hydropower turbines will be fed directly to the Castle, and then the surplus fed back into the grid.

Hydropower is totally carbon neutral, and harnesses energy from the natural flow of the river, to rotate the turbines and generate electricity. This is the first installation of its kind on the River Thames.

At present, preparation works are still ongoing on the weir structure, and one of the pivots, which the turbines will sit on, was craned in on Friday. The actual turbines are due to be installed at the end of November, and it is hoped that the plant will be fully operational before Christmas.