GIB invests £ 28m in new energy-from-waste plant
UK Green Investment Bank plc ( GIB ) has committed £ 28m of debt finance to a new £ 142m energy-from-waste ( EfW ) plant at Millerhill , near Edinburgh , Scotland . GIB joins a lending club that includes Investec , Siemens Bank and Credit Agricole .
The 14.1MW facility is expected to treat up to 155,000 tonnes of waste every year once complete . The waste , sourced mainly from local residences , will be pre-screened in a mechanical treatment facility to remove recyclable material before entering the energy recovery process .
The plant is forecast to generate approximately 94,000MWh of electricity annually . It is anticipated that it will avoid greenhouse gas emissions equalling 30,000 tonnes per annum , equivalent to removing 13,800 cars from the road for the lifetime of the project .
The plant will also be combined heat and power ( CHP ) -ready , meaning it has
the potential to supply excess heat from its generating operations to nearby homes as well as local businesses .
Recycling and waste management company FCC Environment ( UK ) has been appointed to design , build and operate the plant by Zero Waste : Edinburgh and Midlothian , a joint venture between City of Edinburgh Council and Midlothian Council . FCC already operates similar facilities in four locations in the UK . Construction will commence immediately .
Commercial
Whisky power as bio-energy transforms distillery sector
The successful on-site bio-energy plant commissioned one year ago by Clearfleau ( leading British provider of on-site anaerobic digestion plants ) at Diageo ’ s Glendullan distillery in Speyside , Scotland , is helping lead the Scotch Whisky industry ’ s drive for environmental sustainability and carbon reduction at distillery sites . On-site bio-energy generated from co-products is supplying energy for whisky distillation .
The plant is delivering a 25 % reduction in fossil fuel energy demand at the distillery , saving Diageo significant costs and reducing its carbon footprint by 1,000 tonnes of CO2 per year . On-site digestion technology is boosting the circular economy in Scotland ’ s distillery sector .
Twelve months ’ results show on-site anaerobic digestion ( AD ) at the Glendullan distillery at Dufftown , in the heart of Speyside , is converting approximately 1,000m3 per day of malt whisky distillery co-products into valuable renewable energy . This is about a million cubic metres of biogas per year – producing 6,000MW hours of thermal energy for the distillery .
Diageo and Clearfleau collaborated closely in developing the bio-energy plant at Glendullan and the initial plant at the nearby Dailuaine distillery that has been operational for over three years .
Each on-site plant comprises a high-rate digester , specifically designed to handle liquid distillery co-products , followed by aerobic treatment for water clean-up .
The AD plants reduce the incoming COD load by over 95 % and minimise further treatment required for the discharge of cleansed water to nearby
rivers . It will help Diageo meet the Scottish Environment Protection Agency ’ s new plans for enhanced resource use – achieving low carbon emissions , improved materials use and energy savings . It will also enable local farmers to replace fossil-fuel-derived fertiliser with nutrient-rich bio-solids .
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