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Northumbrian Water has invested £9.5 million in gas to grid systems at a wastewater treatment plant in Teeside, which can generate sufficient energy from sewage to power 5,000 homes.
The Bran Sands treatment works will produce enough biomethane to significantly cut energy bills for the site and return power to the National Grid.
Northumbrian said the investment at Bran Sands will see returns of almost £3 million each year, as a result of saving on its energy bills and returns from a two-tier renewable heat incentive agreement, as well as delivering environmental benefits through the export of the gas.
The investment is part of the company’s energy management plan, which includes using increasing amounts of sustainable energy from a range of sources.
This is the second time Northumbrian has used the technology, after establishing a similar plant at Howdon on North Tyneside in 2015.
The company already recycles all its sewage sludge to create energy through Anaerobic Digestion at Bran Sands and Howdon. This is complemented by a 943 solar panel array on the rooftops of the Teesside site.
The water industry has committed to reaching carbon net-zero by 2030, a goal that Northumbrian’s chief executive Heidi Mottram co-champions as one of Water UK’s Public Interest Commitments.
Richard Murray, Northumbrian’s head of wastewater treatment and bioresources, said the plant contributes to the company’s own goal of being carbon neutral by 2027.
“Bran Sands is a site that, at its heart, is there to protect the environment. The gas that is now flowing through the new plant represents the result of four years of planning and work to establish the gas to grid plant and add an extra layer of sustainability to the way we treat the sewage and industrial effluent from across Teesside.”
Julie Gilhespie, chief executive of Tees Valley Combined Authority Group, added that the plant is an example of businesses changing to meet regional clean energy goals such as the aspiration to become a leader for clean growth.
The equipment was installed by Swedish specialists Malmberg, the company that also delivered the sister plant at Howdon.
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