Water & Wastewater Treatment

www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | JANUARY 2016 | 21 Project focus: water and energy the installation, around £750,000. The heat produced is being sold back to the college under a 20-year purchase agreement, meaning the college makes cost savings from day one, with no capital outlay. Work started in June, and involved the installation of a new plant room, two new wet wells and a localised district heating system for the campus which is 1km in length. Since around a third of the wastewater in the Galashiels catchment will pass through the interception, and the process reduces its temperature by 5-6 0 C, Scottish Water was keen to establish that the colder sewage would not interfere with its biological treatment process when it reaches the treatment plant. Modelling work carried out by SHARC and Scottish Water has provided assurance that there will be no or very limited impact; additional temperature sensors have been installed downstream to provide evidence of this to inform future projects. Following completion and testing, the installation was formally opened by Scotland's Energy Minister Fergus Ewing on December 8. "This is an excellent example of how new technologies can help Scotland move towards decarbonising our heat system," says Ewing. "Recycling heat from local waste water can deliver financial, energy and emission savings to the campus while assisting to further develop our low carbon economy and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels." SHARC Energy Systems' CEO Russ Burton says that there are around the benefit of the wider economy of Scotland and that's where this fits in. The project at Galashiels has been very successful and we are working with SHARC on how we can make the most of the opportunities that are out there." Pete Smith, Vice Principal – Finance and Resources, at Borders College, added: "Borders College is delighted to be the client in this project which places us at the forefront of renewable energy use in the UK. Before deciding on SHARC, we did consider other renewable heat source options such as biomass and involvement in a large-scale district heating scheme but, ažer considering all options, SHARC was clearly the front-runner. "This solution goes a long way to meeting our own carbon-reduction targets, while offering long-term price certainty and offering a good degree of local control. It's fantastic that we are now at the stage of 'going-live' and we look forward to a continuing long-term partnership with the SHARC Team." 60 large energy users in the UK who are interested in adopting similar heat recovery systems; in addition to Scottish Water, the company is in discussions with Severn Trent and United Utilities about the prospect of projects in their areas. Public sector buildings are a particular focus with universities, hospitals, prisons and leisure centres all potential customers. "We've got a good pipeline of potential projects and the scope for growth is substantial," says Burton. "With around 11 billion litres of sewage treated in the UK every day, that is a significant potential source of heat supply. I think we will gain a lot of traction with big energy users, especially is the public sector, and our focus is not just on the UK, we see the UK as a springboard to the rest of the European market." Although the company utilises the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), it is not dependent on this and the technology is economically viable regardless of the future of this incentive, he added. Andrew MacDonald, Head of Scottish Water Horizons – the subsidiary of Scottish Water that supports the development of a sustainable economy in Scotland - said that there were few barriers to deploying the technology in other locations across the country. "We're really excited to be involved in this project – it's got real legs and we think that Scotland could really benefit from it," says MacDonald. "One of our key business principles is to look at areas where we can leverage our capability and infrastructure for L-R: Ian Cra , COO, SHARC Energy Systems; Lynn Mueller, Chairman, SHARC Energy Systems; Pete Smith, Vice Principal, Borders College; Rob Hewitt, Facilities Manager, Borders College; Russ Burton, CEO, SHARC Energy Systems • Perspectives Lord Smith of Kelvin, chair of the Green Investment Bank: "If the UK is to achieve its demanding targets for carbon reduction we must do more to improve the sustainability of the energy we use to produce heat. This project shows us how to do that. It is a great example of utilising a new technology to reduce costs and cut carbon. We are very pleased to play our part in helping this innovative project to happen." Alan Scott, Scottish Water's Finance Director: "From industrial use to tourism, renewable energy and heating systems, Scotland's vast water resources offer tremendous opportunities for added economic benefit. The UK's first sewage to heat scheme in Galashiels is an excellent example of how water resources can be harnessed and maximised, furthering the development of Scotland's low carbon economy."

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