Standing 80m tall at its hub and 125m when one of its three blades is vertical, the huge machine has been built for Cornwall Light & Power.

The complex job of erecting the £2 million turbine saw engineers work through the night at the weekend, using a crane to move the components to another, larger crane, which lifted them into position.

After construction finished at 5.30am on Sunday (August 10), the turbine was left standing proudly on land off Kings Dyke, near Whittlesey (See the location on Google Maps), owned by Abbey Produce, whose Whittlesey warehouse was destroyed by fire in February.

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Richard Schrader is site manager for contractor R G Carter Civil Engineering, which assembled the turbine and is getting it ready for the switch-on planned at the end of the month.

He said: "It's very satisfying to see it erected after you've been working on and planning the project for months.

"To see that end product is your reward.

"I think a gaggle of turbines looks better than a line of pylons marching across the countryside."

The new machine stands near the three older turbines at Whittlesey, which were officially switched on in June by energy minister Malcolm Wicks, and are thought to be among the largest in the country.

While they produce electricity to cut the bills at the McCain Foods factory, the new windmill – which is the same size – will generate power for the local distribution network.

The turbine is anchored by 4m- deep foundations, containing 250 cu m of concrete, and was assembled on site after arriving in sections by road.

But first, the larger of the two cranes had to be put together with the help of its smaller counterpart, after it arrived from Ireland, broken up into sections, which filled 14 trucks.

The 1,000-tonne capacity leviathan lifted the three sections of the mast into place, followed by the hub and then the three blades which slot into it.

Work is now carrying on to prepare the turbine to start making electricity by August 28.

Meanwhile, efforts to build another turbine for Cornwall Light & Power on Abbey Produce land, off St Mary's Road, at Ramsey, have been hampered by the poor weather this week.

Mr Schrader said: "It takes approximately two days if there's no wind, but if there's a slight wind, a part of the job that would take one hour takes three or four instead."

Head of construction management for Cornwall Light & Power John Mills said people seemed to have become used to turbines.

He said: "I think they are accepted. I have been working in your area for the last few months and I haven't found anyone that found them offensive."