£33m energy project on target

Nov 27 2008 by Paul Gannon, Evening Gazette

A GREEN scheme on Teesside that will cut Northumbrian Water’s energy costs by millions of pounds, is powering ahead to completion.

The £33m project is underway at the company’s Bran Sands treatment works at Teesport to convert sludge, the material left after sewage has been treated, into energy.

The project will create enough power to make the treatment process self-sufficient with the 4kw excess meeting half of the Bran Sands site’s entire energy needs.

The Teesside investment will cut the company’s £40m energy bill by around 10%.

Walkways connecting three huge 25m high storage tanks were swung into place yesterday as work continues to see the plant fully operational by summer 2009.

The plant will be the biggest single plant of its kind in the UK and one of the biggest in the world.

It will use the emerging new technology of thermal hydrolysis advanced digestion, putting Northumbrian Water at the forefront of its industry.

Raw sludge is loaded into stainless steel vessels where steam is injected and the sludge is held at high temperature and high pressure to kill bacteria.

This is then cooled and fed into tanks for methane producing bacteria to digest.

The methane given off by the bugs is collected and then used to fuel gas engines, which provide a renewable source of energy.

Colin Price, technical director for Northumbrian Water, said the project would pay for itself in less than 10 years.

“We’re looking at all opportunities to reduce our energy costs,” he added.