THE MILL
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Hydro-Electric

Sustainability

 

Here at The Mill we have a sustainable & circular economy approach to life. Our long term goal is to find a way to reconnect the existing Turbine & produce our own hydro powered electricity, to support all the creative pursuits at The Mill.

 

First the region captured my heart, back in 2016, swiftly followed by The Mill. Following much negotiation & a little thing called Brexit, I finally exchanged my old London life for a new one, more creative one in South West Region of Aveyron France in November 2018.

The Mill Project has always been a people project. Connection, Creativity, Community, these are the staples that underpin everything that matters to us , it’s what The Mill as a project is all about.

A way of life that is about supporting one another, creating connections and friendships, living the fullest, most authentic creative lives that we are able to. Always open to continual learning and growth. Sharing our hopes, dreams, visions and inspiring each other along the way.

Hand in hand with our core values, is the sustainable way of living that we choose to align with.

A way of life that realises we are part of the planet, part of a system that we belong to. A way of life that recognises the planet is not a resource for us to dominate and exploit. A way of living that acknowledges we are accountable for the choices we make. Choosing to make change and live the life that feels right to us, connected, with people and planet - equally.

It’s important to remember after all that ‘We all come from Star Dust’ - not WooWoo just fact. More and more people are realising just how connected to each other and the planet we actually are.

Aligning with the principles of The Circular Economy, with a Triple bottom line, People, Planet and not just Profit.

Our Sustainability Approach

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) for 2030

We are focusing on the following Sustainable Development Goals in particular:

SDG 3 - Good Health and well-being

SDG 7 - Affordable and clean energy.

SDG 11- Sustainable Cities and communities

SDG 12- Responsible Consumption and Production

SDG 13- Climate Action

Where we can create the most significant change is with SDG 7 - affordable and clean energy. And we will need your help to do achieve it.

Hydro Energy Possibilities

The Mill was built before 1789, and is shown on the first officially recognised topographical and geometric map of France – The Carte de Cassini, see the extract in the images above. We discovered back in February 2021 that its likely foundations of the building date back to the 17th Century.

Flour was produced here until the year 2000, exported all over the world. There are flour sacks remaining here with Arabic writing where the flour was exported to Tripoli.

All the machinery - and there was a lot as you’ll see from the blueprints below - to transform the grain into flour was powered by the turbine which was installed between 1926 - 1935 as part of the then modernisation. The turbine is still here, in place. It is recognised by those in the industry as a workhorse, solid and reliable. The idea was to recommission the existing turbine to generate green electricity, for the grid. However, following an initial feasibility study, it was quickly ascertained that to feed back to the Green Energy Grid would be a long, complicated administrative process and extremely expensive! Plans have been revised in light of this and smaller scale autonomous solutions are being sort. We hope to utilize existing materials & machinery, already on site and fashion a system that is both respectful of the natural ecosystem & leaves no damaging footprint, while supplying some energy for The MIll.

There is much work to be done, problems to be solved, help to be found. Sign up below to our newsletter to be kept up to date.

In the meantime here are some juicy photos of a very handsome but muddy Turbine and some sexy blueprints from 1926 to drool over!

Blue-prints for the modernisation of The Mill dated 1926 (later revisions followed)

This is the turbine, in the drained down, but very muddy canal - the wheel that the turbine connects to is in another chamber