Small Hydro

Scottish Water completes hydro turbine installation at wastewater treatment plant

Scottish Water completes hydro turbine installation at wastewater treatment plant
(photo courtesy Scottish Water)

Scottish Water reported it has completed work on a project to harness hydropower from wastewater, supporting its drive to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.

The first of its kind in the UK, the scheme has seen the installation of a hydro turbine at Hamilton Waste Water Treatment Works in South Lanarkshire and is expected to generate 0.42 GWh of green electricity each year. The hydro turbine is anticipated to cut carbon emissions by around 64 tonnes each year.

Developed and delivered by Scottish Water’s commercial subsidiary Scottish Water Horizons, the project will offset around 13% of the treatment work’s annual electricity demand. It is the first prefabricated hydro scheme to be installed “mid-process” at a wastewater treatment works in the UK, with wastewater flowing through a hydroelectric generator within the pipeline of the plant. 

Using off-site construction methods also helped to reduce the carbon footprint associated with construction of the scheme and condensed the time required onsite, according to a release.

The project “is a great example of how Scottish Water is being creative and looking at how we can utilize all the assets across our portfolio to achieve our net zero ambitions,” said Neil Beaumont, Horizons Hydro Energy Team Lead. “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 optimizing our generation of green energy. Taking novel approaches like this will go a long way towards helping us achieve net zero emissions by 2040 and beyond, deliver service excellence, and create greener communities.”

The scheme was delivered by local renewable energy solutions specialists FES Support Services Ltd on behalf of Scottish Water Horizons.