BERKSHIRE, England (PennWell/12.22.2011) -- A plan that once seemed lifeless is almost a reality following the installation of two Archimedes Screw hydropower turbines at Windsor Castle.

Developer RWE npower renewables first gained approval for its plan from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Planning Authority of England in 2005, but the company pulled out in 2009 before the project could come to fruition.

Southeast Power Engineering Limited (SEPE) filled the void, however, and will soon inaugurate a pair of 40-ton steel Archimedes Screws and their accompanying equipment.

Each 12-meter by 4-meter screw turbine cost the equivalent of US$1.1 million to manufacture and another $1.6 million to install. Together, the turbines will produce 300-KW per hour.

A $156,000 fish tube has also been installed, giving some species their first passage along the River Thames in more than two centuries.

It's expected that the Windsor Castle will be operational in early 2012.