The wind turbine will be switched on at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn from Friday with the blades spinning to generate green electricity at the site for the first time.

The turbine is expected to generate the same amount of electricity needed to power 350 homes for a year and substantially reduce the hospital's energy costs.

Dorothy Hosein, the hospital's chief executive said: 'This is just part of our energy strategy which seeks to make the Queen Elizabeth Hospital as cost effective as possible when it comes to our energy needs.'

Work began on installing the structure at the start of February.

Green energy company Ecotricity which owns the turbine has covered all costs related to it, including the construction, installation and ongoing maintenance.

Much of the 1.5 million units of green electricity generated every year from the turbine will be used by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital which it will purchase at a 20pc discounted rate.

Hospital bosses also say that as well as savings to electricity bills, the wind turbine is a measure being put in place to protect the environment and combat climate change. The reduced carbon footprint will allegedly save over 600 tonnes in carbon dioxide production every year.

Michael de Whalley from the West Norfolk Green Party said: 'While I think it is great that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is embracing renewable energy and taking the issue serious, it is a shame that the wind turbine has been placed close to an historic site.

'But then again, windmills have traditionally been part of the Norfolk and Fenland landscape for many years. These modern wind turbines may look out of place, but we see them as replacing the structures that were previously there.'

A fund has also been launched that offers local residents £1,000 a year for community projects.

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