In this issue...
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Solutions to solve climate control legislation
Waterman protects the environment for future generations
Waterman Sustainable Energy (WSE), a subsidiary company within Waterman Group, has 30 years experience as consulting engineers in the energy, waste and power industry. The company has extensive relationships with major industrial players and is increasingly appointed at strategic level to provide bespoke specialist services. Waterman Group provides multidisciplinary consulting engineering services on infrastructure, environmental and building projects around the world. The Group has a turnover in excess of £60 million and employs some 1,200 staff located in 28 offices in the UK and abroad.
The Group provides professional sustainability services and integrates sustainable development considerations into the heart of scheme assessments, design, specification, construction and operation. Services include design options for balancing embodied energy and energy in use, through the whole life assessment of a building; effective waste management strategies for both the construction and operational stages of a site; incorporation of renewable energy sources, natural ventilation and low-cost building maintenance systems; the potential for offsite fabrication; improvement of biodiversity through innovative landscape and habitat design.
Dynamic thermal modelling enables us to accurately analyse the behaviour of a building and its responses under different conditions. Thermal studies help to provide a detailed analysis of naturally and artificially ventilated spaces, assessment of comfort conditions, building load and carbon emission estimations, energy consumption predictions, solar shading, façade studies and condensation risk assessment.
CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software allows us to predict airflow in and around buildings. This type of analysis may include:
- External building and site wind flow predictions
- Pedestrian comfort
- Contaminant (flue discharge) risk assessment
- Ventilated façade performance
- Interior space comfort conditions
- Interior space air movement
- Prediction of smoke flow
- Natural ventilation
The Group also carries out BREEAM and EcoHomes assessment; building physics analysis; sustainability statements for planning purposes; comparative strategies for heating, cooling and ventilation; whole life costing; and sustainable travel planning. WSE has recently completed the commissioning of two biomass co-firing facilities. The success of these two projects has encouraged other power generators to seek advice on biomass as a potential fuel source. Various feasibility studies are currently being conducted, investigating alternative fuels.
2004 saw the commissioning of WSE?s first MBT (mechanical biological treatment) plant by Biffa under a PFI contract with Leicester City Council. The solution will help the council achieve a significantly higher recycling target, together with promoting sustainable energy due to the production of electricity from the produced biogas.
Electricity generation has already commenced. The production of biogas has recently gained approval under a government scheme for renewable fuels. Nationally, the company is well-placed to secure various large PFI contracts. WSE has used its extensive technical and practical expertise in this area to assist Biffa Waste in providing a cuttingedge technological solution which will help Leicester City achieve its goal of reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill to just 60% by 2005. The organic fraction previously sorted is processed using anaerobic digestion which produces an agricultural conditioner and fertiliser, and in addition, a biogas which is used to good effect producing 1.5MW of electricity (enough to power 1,500 homes). The objective of the project was to provide a solution for Leicester City?s problem - the disposal of 150,000 tonnes of municipal waste.
WSE has been appointed as consultants for a new partnership involving RCR group and Babcock International. This is to promote a revolutionary new thermal treatment process, set to rival the mass burn market, such as incineration, pyrolisis and gasification in the treatment of MSW.
The uniqueness of the solution lies in its capacity to size-reduce raw waste by up to 85% of its original volume, while sanitising and delabelling all recyclable commodities and at the same time breaking down cellulose-based materials into homogenous fibres. The treated organics from the autoclave process are in the form of a sterile fibre and can used as a biomass fuel. The product has been tested and complies under UK regulations as a renewable fuel source.
The fuel can be converted into a synthesis gas for combustion in a gas turbine. In general terms, 250,000 tonnes of municipal waste can promote 20MW/hrs of surplus electricity, which can be sold as green energy to the utility companies. There are no harmful elements by way of emissions as these are automatically extracted from the waste stream by the process of condensate for subsequent removal by filtration. The consortium is exporting the solution on an international basis and is currently in the process of confirming orders in various countries.
WSE, through Waterman International, was responsible for a solution to solve a serious environmental problem in the Daqing area of China and was appointed on China?s first lightweight aggregrate plant. As can be seen in the adjacent pictures, the project has transformed the environment and provided a cost-efficient solution for the area. The plant has been designed around a ?sinter? process, which uses a power station residue called fl y ash, converting it into a valuable lightweight aggregate product suitable for block making and a variety of other constructional uses.
WSE was commissioned by the General Power Corporation of Daqing Petroleum Administrative Bureau to provide a process capable of converting up to 200,000 cube metre/year of waste fl y ash from the adjacent power station. The project costs were around the $10 million with a predicted payback of around 7 years. Obviously in the Western world, where aggregate prices are much higher, the payback period is around 4-5 years.
In addition to the above, WSE is actively working in Greece and Romania advising clients on European legislation requirements surrounding carbon emissions. A large project in Romania is currently awaiting government approval; it will significantly help to reduce NOX and SOX emissions within this area allowing local employment to be maintained.
It is commonly accepted that the way we live today is not sustainable ? we cannot keep our rate of consumption at its current level. The amount of waste we produce and the amount of energy we consume is not balanced with our resources and that needs to change. Thankfully, this has now been acknowledged by many of the world?s leaders and in the UK we have begun the task of redressing the balance. The process began by setting tough targets; the challenge now is to meet them!
WSE develops practical, efficient and economical strategies for the commercial and industrial sectors by providing solutions for energy issues to meet current European requirements and carbon management regulations. The company focuses on the promotion of sustainable solutions for a modern society, protecting the environment for future generations.
Author: Joseph Morris
Managing Director, WSE
Waterman Sustainable Energy
Bradshaw House 31
Waterloo Lane, Bramley
Leeds LS13 2JB
Tel: 0113 256 3322
Fax: 0113 257 5871
E-mail:
Website: www.waterman-group.co.uk