A new hydropower project at Hamilton Waste Water Treatment Works in South Lanarkshire has been completed by Scottish Water, marking the first of its kind in the UK.
The project, developed by Scottish Water Horizons, a commercial subsidiary of Scottish Water, features a hydro turbine that is expected to generate 0.42GWh of green electricity annually. This innovation will offset around 13% of the facility’s annual electricity demand.
The installation is the first prefabricated hydro scheme in the UK to be integrated ‘mid-process’ at a wastewater treatment plant, using wastewater to power a hydroelectric generator within the pipeline. The turbine is projected to cut carbon emissions by about 64 tonnes annually.
Neil Beaumont, Horizons Hydro Energy Team Lead, expressed enthusiasm for the project: “We are delighted to see this pioneering project now complete and in operation. It is a great example of how Scottish Water is being creative and looking at how we can utilise all the assets across our portfolio to achieve our net zero ambitions.”
He added” “This is the first project of this kind delivered at a Scottish Water waste water facility, whereas previous hydro efforts have focused on our water assets. Waste water treatment is a huge part of what Scottish Water does and there is so much opportunity in this area to be bold and innovative when it comes to looking at cutting our carbon emissions and optimising our generation of green energy.”
Craig Causer, Scottish Water Operations Team Lead for the area, highlighted the local benefits: “The treatment works at Hamilton serve around 57,000 people and have a high electrical consumption. By generating green energy from what is typically regarded as a waste product, we are helping deliver a waste water service to local communities with a lower carbon footprint. Not only does this help reduce our reliance on grid electricity, it also helps reduce our on-site energy costs.”
Local renewable energy specialists FES Support Services Ltd delivered the project on behalf of Scottish Water Horizons. This scheme adds to a growing number of water and wastewater treatment works that are now either self-sufficient or partly sufficient in generating their own power.
