Global resource management company, Veolia, is set to deliver low carbon energy to the UK's largest single site life science campus at Alderley Park in Cheshire.
Designed, installed and operated by Veolia the new energy services will provide around 45G Wh of electricity and 200 GWh of heat to support companies involved in pioneering innovation in bioscience and technology. The service will also help to deliver energy security and counter climate change by saving around 8,400 tonnes of CO2 each year.
Part of Bruntwood SciTech, Alderley Park is home to the internationally-recognised Mereside life science campus and offers more than 1 million sqft of high specification lab space, a range of scientific services and an accelerator delivering a comprehensive programme of business support for start-ups and scale-ups. It is also home to a vibrant and fast growing community of over 60 established and 150 pre-start up companies.
To deliver the low carbon energy to power to essential facilities that support the Campus cutting-edge research the new energy centre and district heating network will include a 5.2 MWe combined heat and power plant and 24 MWth thermal plant to provide electricity, steam and hot water.
The contract scope includes a fully engineered package, provided by Veolia's specialist teams, covering decommissioning of existing plant on the site, and design, procurement, equipment supply, project management, installation and commissioning of the new energy centre and heat network. As well as reducing carbon emissions, the businesses on Alderley Park will also benefit from stable energy supplies with costs that are less susceptible to energy market price changes.
When commissioned, Veolia will provide 24/7 engineering support for operation and maintenance for 15 years through a dedicated on-site team, backed by mobile engineers and helpdesk facility. This will cover the complete CHP system, steam and hot water plant, controls, heat network, high and low voltage electrical systems, and metering.
Gavin Graveson, Executive VP at Veolia UK and Ireland said: "This latest application of modern CHP technology shows how we can help support businesses in their commitment to the environment and the goal of net zero carbon. The real advantage for Alderley Park is that our teams can provide the complete service enabling these innovative businesses to focus on their core activities, with guaranteed energy supplies and predictable energy costs."
"With an increasing demand for energy, CHP can play a key role in guaranteeing cost effective and sustainable low carbon electricity and heat and make a real difference in delivering the energy needed to maintain ground breaking research activities," Graveson added.
With over 450 CHP units in operation in the UK, the energy activities of Veolia annually achieve CO2 reductions of 407,000 tonnes through efficient on-site generation and management of utilities, including electricity (enough to power over 1.2 million homes), heat and cooling.