WIND turbines with a difference could earn a Truro business up to £40,000.

Wind Dam will compete against eight other finalists from across the region in the Shell Springboard award onTuesday, February 24.

The company produces a wind turbine, the brainchild of its engineers Derek Miles and Tony Mewburn-Crook, with blades in a covered unit and no poles, making it safer to use in residential areas and less obtrusive than the traditional style of turbine.

Julie Trevithick, director of Wind Dam, said: "This is a very welcome endorsement of our belief in our design's potential for making a significant impact in the drive for zero carbon energy solutions."

Wind Dam's scalable structure is ideal for cities and means it can be used on tall buildings of varying sizes, where it can efficiently generate a large amount of energy from the smallest amount of wind – an important point for cities, where wind speeds are often lower.

Shell Springboard gives a financial boost to innovative, commercially viable business ideas that tackle climate change.

A report conducted by Vivid Economics for Shell Springboard indicated that the low carbon energy market could be worth £2,000 billion by 2030.

The national final takes place in London on March 3.

Visit www.ShellSpringboard.org.uk to find out more.