Member Article

Northumbrian Water install £1.3m hydro power technology

Northumbrian Water is building on its green credentials, after the installation of a £1.3 million hydro power generation unit at its Mosswood water treatment works.

Commissioning of the plant is now underway after eight months of construction and technical challenges.

The 185kw unit at the treatment works near Consett, County Durham will create enough power to supply the equivalent of 300 homes, and will be used to meet a third of electricity needed to run the entire treatment works.

This will result in an annual saving of £200,000, and alongside government incentive scheme subsidies, the site’s power bill will be cost neutral.

Installation works at the site, which serves around 700,000 customers in Sunderland South Tyneside and North Durham, were carried out by JN Bentley contractors.

Climate Change Manager, David Chapman, said: “Northumbrian Water is committed to reduce carbon emissions by 35% by 2020 and utilising every opportunity at its reservoirs and treatment works to increase renewable energy generation.”

Northumbrian Water has already installed the biggest hydro electric plant at Kielder Water, as well as other energy generating assets at Selset and Derwent Reservoirs. They have also installed the technology at treatment works in the Wear Valley and Darlington.

The company is also working on ground breaking plans to create power from sludge left after sewage treatment. They currently operate the biggest anaerobic digestion plant of its kind at the mouth of the Tees, while another is under construction at the mouth of the Tyne.

Following the introduction of these initiatives, Northumbrian Water have received the ‘Best initiative by a large business’ in the Climate Week Awards 2012.

It has also been named in two internationally recognised indexes this week. The company was one of only 15 across the UK to gain Platinum Plus Status in the Business in the Community Responsibility Index 2012, and was the only UK water firm to be designated as one of the Ethisphere World’s Most Ethical Companies 2012.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .