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The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), the national battery manufacturing development facility, is set to revolutionise the way it generates energy with an innovative project which will transform its roof into a solar farm capable of generating a peak output of 2.8MW of clean, renewable electricity.

In addition to the solar farm, the project will see the creation of two 2MWh Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) which will give the facility greater flexibility over when it uses energy, allowing solar energy generated throughout the day to be used overnight. Construction work on the BESS is set to commence in March 2024.

Once fully operational, the new Vital Energi installation will significantly help to reduce the facility’s carbon footprint by 555,000kg per year.

Funding for the solar farm is being provided by UK Research and Innovation, via the Faraday Battery Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK. The FBC is a £610m investment programme which supports world-class scientific technology development and manufacturing scale-up capability for batteries in the UK.

Work is already underway on the solar farm with completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024.

Work has begun at a new state-of-the-art carbon-capture plant at Lingley Mere business park which also aims to be the first in the UK to provide low-carbon heating to local buildings.

The project, Mersey Biochar, will lock away over 2,500 tonnes of carbon a year into biochar, a versatile product with a range of uses from improving soil quality to decarbonising the construction industry. Led by climate-action organisations Severn Wye Energy Agency and Pure Leapfrog, a consortium of experts, including Vital Energi and Pyrocore are behind the project, which is hosted by United Utilities.

Capturing carbon and other greenhouse gases will be critical for the UK’s plans to meet net zero by 2050 and the Mersey Biochar pilot will help to strengthen UK expertise in this area.

Severn Wye CEO Sandy Ruthven says:

‘We are very excited to see work getting underway at Lingley Mere. To achieve net zero we must find creative ways of heating our homes and businesses. Mersey Biochar will help us prove we can generate energy, capture carbon and create biochar. We’re looking forward to demonstrating that this technology can be rolled out across the country to help tackle climate change.’

Mersey Biochar will capture carbon from green waste or ‘biomass’, in this case a byproduct of local forestry management which would otherwise release its carbon back into the atmosphere as it decays. Carbon is locked in through a process called pyrolysis, which heats the biomass in a virtually oxygen-free environment to produce biochar.

Every tonne of biochar produced can remove up to 3.6 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere and store it away for centuries. This facility is expected to produce 700 tonnes of biochar each year which will equate to over 2,500 tonnes of carbon reduction.

Paul Gilligan, CEO of decarbonisation specialist partners Pure Leapfrog, says:

‘As we continue along our planned product development pathway, we will see this unit, and more like it in the future, not just to capturing and storing carbon but also delivering clean heat to communities and providing energy services to the electricity grid. This technology has an exciting and valuable future.’

Once the facility’s carbon-capture capabilities are proven, the project also aims to be the first of its kind in the UK to recycle the heat generated from biochar production to heat and power United Utilities’ buildings on the site – part of the company’s long-term sustainability goals.

As United Utilities’ Bioresources and Green Energy Director, Tom Lissett, explains:

‘This innovative technology opens up the opportunity to decarbonise our office heating requirements at Lingley Mere using the heat created during the pyrolysis process. It is an important step forward for us in our journey to decarbonising our head office in Warrington.’

Mersey Biochar is funded by the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero through their Direct Air Capture and Greenhouse Gas Removal innovation programme, established to find new and inventive ways of reducing UK carbon emissions.

Industry experts PyroCore supplied the first elements of the plant in November. The facility is being built by energy specialists Vital Energi and expected to be in operation at the end of the summer.

On Thursday, November 6, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans MS attended the official opening of the new Coed-Ely Solar Farm, alongside Cabinet Member for Resources, Councillor Ros Davis, and representatives from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), UK Government, NHS, Stantec, Rhomco, Vital Energi and the Welsh Government Energy Service.

The visit came as part of the official switch on for the solar farm, which began supplying electricity directly to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in early October. The visit provided opportunity to see the project generating electricity for one of our most vital public services.

The visit included a tour of the solar farm and a visit to the hospital, meeting the team behind the project and learning more about the unique partnership between Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council and Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, highlighting how the project has improved energy security, created local jobs, and generated over £600,000 in spending with local businesses and suppliers.

Coed Ely Solar Farm is made up of 9,400 solar PV panels which can generate 6MW of electricity, with 5MW exported to the grid and 1MW sent to Royal Glamorgan Hospital through a 3.2km private wire network. It’s built on the site of a former 84-hectare colliery tip and is a great example of how we can repurpose our industrial past to be part of our energy future. Marking Welsh Climate Week and tying in with this year’s theme, unlocking the benefits of change, the solar farm creates local power for local care whilst providing grazing for farm animals and thriving hedgerows for local wildlife.

The Coed-Ely Solar Farm was jointly funded by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), and part-funded by the Welsh Government.

Councillor Davis continues,“Any electricity generated that is not used by the hospital is fed into the National Grid, helping strengthen the UK’s overall energy security. But ‘local’ is at the heart of this project, local power and local impact.”

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans MS said: “The Coed Ely Solar Farm is a shining example of how we can transform our industrial heritage into clean energy infrastructure that serves our communities.

“By repurposing this former colliery site to power vital NHS services, we are demonstrating that Wales’ journey to net zero can create local jobs, support local businesses, and ensure our public services are more resilient and sustainable for the future.”

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: “The Coed Ely Solar Farm is a great example of the UK Government investing in a project that creates jobs, drives economic growth, contributes to lowering household and public sector energy bills, and helps achieve carbon neutral targets.

“We have invested £4.892 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which, alongside funding from our partners, means the solar farm is now supplying green electricity to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital and the national grid and playing a part in our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower.”

Mark Williams, Partnerships Director at Vital Energi explains: “One of the truly exciting things about this solar farm is that it demonstrates what can be achieved when the public sector collaborates to improve resilience, lower carbon emissions and save money on energy bills.  We shared the council’s vision that this project should bring maximum value to the community, so we’re pleased we could employ local people, spend money with local businesses and work with the charities, schools and groups which make up this fantastic community.”

Councillors from Rhondda Cynon Taf Council (RCTC) joined representatives from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTMUHB) and Vital Energi to celebrate the commencement of works on the new 6MW Coed Ely Solar Farm in South Wales.

Due to an innovative partnership the solar farm will not only reduce the council’s carbon emissions but also help Royal Glamorgan Hospital on its net zero journey.

When complete, the installation will include over 9,400 panels and be capable of generating 6MWh/year of electricity. Crucially, it will play a key role in helping both Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Royal Glamorgan Hospital by reducing emissions by over 7,300 tonnes over the project’s lifetime.

Councillor Leyshon continues, “By supplying the Royal Glamorgan Hospital with low-carbon electricity, we’re helping to reduce its carbon footprint, making the project even more beneficial and directly supplying our local NHS.”

“Additionally, with the site’s reclaimed colliery tip unsuited for agriculture, this project shows how land can be repurposed for clean energy while still supporting local biodiversity. Grazing rights for animals will continue, demonstrating that solar energy projects can coexist with farming and enhance biodiversity.”

5MW of low-carbon electricity will be exported to the grid, whilst 1MW will be exported to Royal Glamorgan Hospital.

Mark Williams, Vital Energi Partnerships Director explained, “Wales has a strong commitment to meeting its net zero goal and it’s projects and partnerships, like this solar farm, which are bringing us closer to those targets. This is a great demonstration of how the public sector can work together to deliver creative solutions to combat the climate emergency. The core reason we recently opened a dedicated office in Swansea and are expanding our workforce in Wales is so that we can better support our clients as they create more of these fantastic low-carbon schemes.”

Linda Prosser, Executive Director of Strategy and Transformation and Executive Lead for Decarbonisation across Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, commented: “We are delighted that on peak summer days the whole hospital will be powered by solar energy. This will have a significant positive impact on our decarbonisation and ‘Green CTM’ commitments and how we can deliver healthcare in a sustainable way for future generations. However, this scheme is not the end of the story at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital and we will be delivering more renewables and low carbon technologies in future to further decarbonise the hospital’s energy demands.

Additionally we are proud to work with our partners at RCTCBC and believe that this scheme is a great example of positive collaboration and partnership working between Health Board and Local Authority.”

The Coed Ely Solar Farm, built on a reclaimed colliery site, showcases how former industrial land can be repurposed for renewable energy generation. The project also includes biodiversity enhancements such as wildlife boxes and habitat corridors, ensuring ecological benefits alongside energy production.

The project is being delivered by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, with Vital Energi acting as the main contractor, supported by Hydrock and Rhomco.

Two of Clydebank’s most iconic listed buildings are taking a step towards net zero by connecting to the low-carbon Queens Quay district heating network.

Both Clydebank Town Hall and Clydebank Library are connecting to the heat network which will allow them to take heat from the Queen’s Quay energy centre which takes heat from the River Clyde and pumps it through a water source heat pump to create low-temperature-hot-water.

The Library will have modifications made to its heating system which will include the installation of a 200kW plate heat exchanger installed and Vital Energi will also replace the old heating system with a new radiator circuit. The Town Hall will see a 600kW plate heat exchanger installed as well as upgrades to the pumping system and air handling units.

Scott concludes, “Both of these buildings are over 100 years old, so there is an exciting opportunity to improve the way they use heat. By making these changes the buildings will become much more efficient and, when combined with the low-carbon heat from the water source heat pumps, will reduce their carbon emissions drastically, making another important step towards West Dunbartonshire Council’s net zero journey.”

Following the successful delivery of energy efficiency projects across seven of the City of London Corporation’s iconic buildings, Vital Energi have moved on to a third phase of works to further accelerate its journey to net zero.

Together, all phases will deliver annual carbon savings of over 1,500 tonnes and financial savings of £1.25m, forming a key part of the City Corporation’s ambitious strategy to achieve net zero carbon scope 1 and 2 emissions across its operational estate by 2027, before reaching net zero across all its activities by 2040.

Bespoke decarbonisation plans have been developed for each building, incorporating the latest renewable technologies and energy conservation measures. These upgrades are designed to improve energy efficiency, reduce heat loss, and lower energy bills, while respecting the heritage and operational needs of each site.

Featured buildings:

• Mansion House – Built in the 1700s, this Grade I listed building serves as the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London. Air source heat pumps will be installed, if planning is approved, along with energy conservation measures (ECMs) including Building Management System (BMS) upgrades, draught proofing, insulation upgrades and cooling improvements.
• Walbrook Wharf – Air source heat pumps and a range of ECMs will be installed at this safeguarded freight wharf in the heart of the City of London, next to Cannon Street station.
• Guildhall School of Music & Drama – Founded in 1880 and located in the Barbican Centre, it has over 1,000 students from 70+ countries. The lighting will be elevated through LED lighting upgrades, including performance venue and theatre lighting.
• Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (HARC) – Air source heat pumps, solar PV, and a range of ECMs will be installed at HARC, the only UK border control post licensed for all animal species, which handles over 28 million fish, 100,000 reptiles, 22,000 cats and dogs, and 400 horses annually.
• The Warren (Epping Forest) – The headquarters for Forest Keepers will be upgraded with an air source heat pump, if planning is approved, for heating and hot water. 

• The London Archives – The largest county record office in the UK, which is home to over 3.5 million historical documents, will benefit from solar PV installed on its roof, allowing them to generate their own green electricity.

Scott Lutton, Regional Director at Vital Energi, said:

“We’re proud to be continuing our partnership with the City of London Corporation to deliver the next phase of decarbonisation works across some of the capital’s most iconic and historically significant buildings.

“By combining renewable technologies with tailored energy conservation measures, we’re not only helping to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs, but also supporting the Corporation’s bold commitment to achieving net zero across its own operations by 2027. Each building presents unique challenges, and our bespoke decarbonisation plans ensure that sustainability goes hand-in-hand with heritage and operational excellence.”

Learn more about phase one of the project here.

Power up! Heywood flicks the switch on major new solar farm

The largest publicly owned solar farm in Greater Manchester has powered up in Heywood.

The 10 hectare site at Chamber House, which secured just over £3m funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is now switched on.

The electricity produced, which, at 5.5 megawatts of electricity, would be enough to power 2,000 homes, will be supplied to the national grid. It will be used to offset the council’s annual energy bill, potentially saving the authority thousands of pounds a year.

In addition to saving over 2,300 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, the solar farm is also bringing extra environmental benefits, with a huge planting scheme taking place across the site. More than 8,000 hedges, trees and plants have been planted as well as wildflower seeding to increase biodiversity, alongside the installation of bird boxes and wildlife habitats to encourage animal life-cycles to continue to thrive.

Vital Energi got the local community involved during the build, arranging mock interviews for local schoolchildren, presenting climate education workshops, holding site tours and offering work experience and local apprenticeship opportunities.

Chamber House Solar Farm was delivered by Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) in partnership with the council. This solar farm forms one of a number of  projects being delivered under the ERDF funded Unlocking Clean Energy within Greater Manchester (UCEGM) umbrella project led by Energy Systems Catapult (ESC).

With over 10 years’ experience within the energy sector, Vital Energi’s Project Development Director, Chris Calder, shares examples of ways in which the food and beverage manufacturing industry can start to take control of their energy consumption and build a resilient future.

The UK food and beverage industry is experiencing significant challenges through rising costs due to factors such as inflation rates and supply chains. Over the last few years, the industry has seen many local and global factors impact the daily business operations. From volatile utility costs directly proceeding the COVID 19 pandemic, to a war that has had significant impacts, the road ahead has felt challenging.

We must also acknowledge the immense pressure on supply chains, particularly on suppliers of raw goods and materials. This pressure has been driven by factors such as inflation and concerns over supply security, like reduced availability of ingredients and bad weather affecting crops, leading to a perfect storm of challenges. Whilst there are some immediate solutions to energy there also must be more support from the new Government to encourage greater adoption of on-site generation and clearer pricing on third party charges for energy bills.

There are however strategies to mitigate these rising costs, and some are easier and quicker to adopt than others. Breaking down into simple tasks is often a way that we help customers set out and plan for not only their net zero requirements but also their cost and carbon reduction in the short and medium term.

There are growing pressures to decarbonise due to net zero targets, economic challenges, and shifting consumer values. Not only is sustainability key to staying relevant and maintaining positive brand perception, it also helps achieve certifications like B-Corp, demonstrating a commitment to both environmental and social responsibility.

Data Visualisation & Optimisation

One of the critical first steps to reducing energy consumption is understanding where it’s going. The simple and cost-effective act of installing meters and submeters will give extraordinary amounts of data, which can be used to drive local efficiencies, and reduce the baseline heat, gas and power consumption before beginning larger projects. Clear data allows for easy optimisations, such as turning key plant equipment on/off or up/down at critical times of the day, which from previous experience could potentially reduce energy consumption by up to 30% on sites that haven’t streamlined operations.

Installing a Building Management System (BMS) or upgrading an old control system can reduce consumption by 10-15%, and it can evolve and grow over time to incorporate more assets and buildings.

Visualising and optimising data not only drives down consumption, but in some cases, can create new revenue streams in flexibility markets too.

Onsite Generation & Renewables

When faced with the challenge of reducing carbon emissions, it’s easy to act upon the most obvious thing that emits carbon – the onsite generation. Whilst this is incredibly important, if the first steps are not taken to reduce and rationalise energy, then systems could be installed in the wrong size, which could lead to higher capital expenditure costs, higher operational expenditure costs and larger overall investment. When considering where to start with onsite generation there are some key considerations. Is the data for the site up to date and accurate? This will drive the overall size of asset that is installed.

Installing solar panels is an incredibly cost-effective way of reducing costs by generating electricity that would normally be imported from the grid. In many cases solar arrays can produce up to 30% of the annual electrical demand and even more if coupled with a battery storage device.

Solar generation can then be used to offset the transition to the electrification of heat. Since the cost of electricity still dwarfs the cost of gas then it can often be challenging to replace fossil fuel burning assets over to greener solutions. However, with the inclusion of solar and also the rationalisation of actual energy consumption many customers are able to achieve similar operational costs when moving to a heat pump for example. The installation and management of the heat pump is incredibly important, and one size almost always doesn’t fit all. There are many technical considerations to be made which is why it’s important to consult with an expert when considering this change as swapping a boiler for a heat pump is not a simple like for like transition.

There are also very unique ways to tackle on site generation. Depending on the customer, there can be instances where a waste biproduct of the production line can be used to re-energise the site and reclaim valuable waste. Where there is excess heat, this can be captured and re-used to pre-heat other areas of the site or converted to electricity to power other processes.

Future Technology and Opportunities

There are many cases where a business has recently invested in assets, such as CHPs, and are now concerned about reducing their emissions. There are options available through technologies such as carbon capture. Where there is a business need to use carbon in the process, such as carbonated beverages or in packaging, then capturing the carbon on site and converting into food grade CO2 can be a viable option. This can give a security of supply while also reducing direct emissions. In some cases, CHPs have been installed as power only or power led assets, where the heat is effectively wasted due to low requirement, the best use case for this would be to share this excess heat with those who have a need locally.

Our future will be made up of mini networks of generating assets that share heating, cooling and power demands across borders to make best use of the available generation. There have been very successful case studies of data centres supplying their excess heat to housing developments or other local off takers. Future developments need not mean brand new technologies, innovation can simply be sharing our resources rather than losing it.

As products and technologies evolve, we will see cost reductions come through maturity of market supply. In the meantime, there are present and real solutions to the cost pressures faced by the food and beverage sector.

Carbon Emissions in the Sector

According to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the food chain is responsible for approximately 20% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. The pressure is on the industry to decarbonise not only from a Scope 1 and 2 perspectives but also from Scope 3, where manufacturers form part of the high street supply chain Scope 3 emissions. Retailers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to partner with environmentally friendly suppliers and subsequently that adds to the pressure of the industry to take action. Those who fall into the UK ETS also need to consider the cost of carbon and the potential for this to increase over the years further challenging the bottom line of customers. Some businesses have also been known to relinquish their B-Corp status because the cost of purchasing carbon credits became untenable. As a result, they decided to focus on their own carbon reduction methods and other initiatives that could better help the planet. With the cost of carbon credits increasing and the validity of sources on the market this brings back the attention of what can be done at a local level.

There is a cost of inaction. Although day to day challenges are mounting for manufacturers there is a growing pressure to secure long term futures that include green production of products. Therefore, we must enable that transition by sharing best practices and guiding businesses to a simple long-term strategy. Removing carbon from operations brings with it many cost benefits. The immediate and obvious benefits are seen in the reduction of energy used and the newly created on site generation avoiding the grid. However also has its long-term benefits that strengthen relationships with customers, retail and end consumers.

Next Steps

The UK food and beverage sector is grappling with rising costs driven by inflation, supply chain disruptions, and energy price increases. These challenges have significant implications for both producers and consumers. Simultaneously, the sector must address its substantial carbon footprint. Through a combination of sustainable practices, technological innovation, and supportive policies, the industry can navigate these challenges and contribute to the UK’s broader environmental goals. Addressing these issues not only supports economic stability but also ensures a more sustainable and resilient food system for the future.

There is no one size fits all solution, but the first step for every organisation is to enlist an expert to look at your data, and come up with a bespoke energy solution.

Vital Energi have been able to shape decarbonisation strategies for organisations across the UK including major malt manufacturers, Simpsons Malt, where we’re reducing their carbon footprint by 25,000 tonnes a year, and Muntons, where we have installed a 14MW biomass boiler.

To find out how we can help you take the first step on your net zero journey, please email [email protected].

The Castle Park Water Source Heat Pump (WSHP) project in Bristol has been named as the winner of the “Heat Pump City of the Year” award at the 2022 European Heat Pump Association awards held in Brussels earlier this week.

The awards attracted almost 50 of Europe’s highest profile WSHP projects and saw the Castle Park energy centre claim the top spot, shining a spotlight on Bristol’s low-carbon heat network.

Scott Lutton, Vital Energi’s Operations Director – North & Scotland, “We’d like to congratulate Bristol City Council and Goram Homes for their fantastic achievement.  This project demonstrates that WSHPs can plug into existing networks and opens up the possibility of harnessing the Gigawatts of ambient heat in the UK’s rivers, which will play a large part in meeting our net zero targets.

“Heat pumps can lower energy bills and deliver strong carbon savings and Castle Park is one of the first major WSHP projects in the UK, so we’re delighted that it has gained recognition at the European level and hope it will inspire other similar projects going forwards.”