Scottish Water alliance to harness sewer heat and replace fossil fuelled 170GWh

Scottish Water’s Horizons subsidiary has unveiled plans to form an alliance with SHARC Energy Systems to expand and accelerate the deployment of heat recovery systems at the water firm’s water treatment works where it could replace some 170GWh of fossil-fueled energy use his Scotland according to Horizons.

Head of Scottish Water Horizons, Andrew Macdonald, said: “The potential to deploy this technology is significant. Scottish Water treats over 900 Ml of wastewater every year and we are determined to maximise the opportunities presented.” Horizons, has created a “£20m pipeline of potential installations” across Scotland that would generate 170 GWhs a year of heating and cooling to displace the fossil fuel currently used.

The SHARC system is operating overseas at “numerous locations” said Horizons. It uses heat pumps to increase the temperature of waste water from sewage treatment for use in heating, cooling and as hot water production in commercial and residential buildings.

SHARC launched its first sewage heat recovery (SHR) system in the UK at Borders College in Galashiels, which aims to displace 1.8 GWhs of gas-fired heating.