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Summary
The FCAF has led the development of a new energy strategy for the urban regeneration programme at Middlehaven in Middlesbrough. The goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the site by at least 60% when measured against a 1990 baseline, and to achieve this in a cost effective manner. The following measures will be adopted:
- The installation of a self financing Community Energy system including a CHP engine (Combined Heat and Power), a district heating (DH) system and a privately owned site wide electricity distribution system (private wire) saving over 33,000 Tonnes of CO2/annum.
- Set up an Energy Services Company (ESCo) to own, operate, maintain the energy infrastructures on site, including the billing of customers.
- The reduction of energy consumption in domestic and commercial buildings through good building design (30% reduction in residential heating and 25% reduction in commercial electricity and heating).
The arrangements will provide the framework for the later installation and testing of higher efficiency, reduced carbon dioxide energy systems including biomass fuelled CHP and the use of fuel cells.
Status
Feasibility Study Complete; ESCo expected to be established Q2 2005
Partners
The project has been developed in partnership with Tees Valley Regeneration, Middlesbrough Council and Renew Tees Valley. The feasibility study was conducted by Element Energy, in partnership with Thameswey Ltd.
Benefits
- Highly sustainable – leading to a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions
- Reduced capital costs for developers – due to reduced plant requirements
- Competitive energy prices – meet or beat energy prices from utilities
- High reliability of energy supply – fewer electrical outages than a connection to the grid are expected; heating system has two backup systems to guarantee supply
- Positive Publicity – leading the UK in demonstrating how sustainable measures can be implemented in a rational and cost effective manner
The Middlehaven Combined Heat and Power system
At the Middlehaven Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system, electricity will be generated locally in a natural gas fired reciprocal engine. The “waste” heat from the engine can be recovered and used to supply Middlehaven’s space and water heating requirements, thereby reducing fossil fuel requirements.
 
Examples of urban CHP energy centres:
Above: CHP centre in Viborg, Denmark
Left: The Woking energy centre (UK).
An energy centre at Middlehaven will provide sufficient heat and electricity to meet all of the site’s energy requirements. Heat generated at the energy centre will be distributed through an underground network of heat pipes (a district heating network, operated by the ESCo). Heat exchangers in each building will take heat from the DH network, replacing individual boiler plant.
Electricity will be distributed around the site via a ‘private-wire’ network. This allows the electricity generated in the energy centre to be sold directly to the site occupants. There will also be a back-up connection to the electrical grid at the energy center, ensuring continuous availability of electricity during maintenance of the CHP engine. As a result, the system is expected to be at least as reliable as the orthodox electrical grid. To ensure availability of heat during scheduled or unscheduled maintenance periods, the energy centre will also house centralised backup boiler plant and large volumes of thermal storage. All of the energy systems on the site will be owned and operated by the Energy Services Company.
Where cooling is required, cooling loads will be met with absorption chillers, or hybrid electrical / absorption chillers. Electric chilling will not be necessary and therefore should not be used. Absorption chillers use heat rather than electricity to drive a cooling cycle. As such, they reduce the electrical demands of the buildings and provide a use for heat generated by the energy centre in the summer.
Absorption chillers can provide for both air conditioning and refrigeration.
The Energy Services Company
The system will be designed and run by the Middlehaven Energy Services Company (ESCo). The ESCo will be set up as a partnership involving private enterprise and the sponsors of the Middlehaven development programme. We have identified private investors who have experience in running CHP and DH systems in the UK, with funding partners who have already achieved successful implementation of sustainable energy schemes in Europe (particularly in Scandinavia).
The ESCo will be responsible for the design, procurement, operation and maintenance of the energy systems described in this document. The ESCo will also arrange contracts with customers, and manage billing. |
