Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | NIA2_SGN0011 | |
| Title | Levenmouth Wastewater Treatment Works | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Hydrogen, Other infrastructure and systems R&D) 100%; | |
| Research Types | Applied Research and Development 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (Geography and Environmental Studies) 10%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Civil Engineering) 20%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 70%; |
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| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given SGN - Scotland |
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| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 December 2021 | |
| End Date | 31 July 2022 | |
| Duration | ENA months | |
| Total Grant Value | £230,000 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Energy | |
| Region | Scotland | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , SGN - Scotland (99.999%) |
| Other Investigator | Project Contact , SGN - Southern England (0.001%) |
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| Industrial Collaborator | Project Contact , SGN (0.000%) |
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| Web Site | https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA2_SGN0011 |
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| Objectives | The project will be in three phases, the methods of each phase are set out below:Phase 1 – A case study based on Levenmouth Wastewater Treatment WorksThe project will gather all the required information about the site, its needs, companys plans for the site and regional treatment. The desktop study will assess the data and establish the quantity of hydrogen needed, quantity of oxygen needed, electrolyser capacity required and understand the feasibility of final effluent for electrolyser feedstock and feasibility of balancing use of pre-treated wastewater for hydrogen production at scale. The project partners will score the most applicable technologies based on agreed criteria (costs, resilience, ease of retrofitting). An economic Whole Life Cost assessment of top 3 options will be produced. A phase 1 report academically reviewed highlighting the key findings, conclusions and recommendations will be delivered.Phase 2 – A wholes systems decarbonisation study of the water, power and gas networks centred on H100 Fife and the role of hydrogen in transport The project will investigate vehicle usage and the practicality of hydrogen use in the area, analyse the impacts of large scale hydrogen production on the electricity system and water resources in the area. The risks and opportunities will be established and an academically peer reviewed phase 2 report will be produced highlighting the key findings conclusions and recommendations Phase 3 – A study of hydrogen production with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) from biogas and replication of the solution across the regionThe project will investigate high level options for developing hydrogen hubs in the region centred on anaerobic digestion plant at wastewater treatment facilities which could alleviate local power constraints by using hydrogen as an energy store. The economic assessment from phase 1 will be used for scaling up and replicating across WWTWs in the region and nationally where similar co-location opportunities exist. A phase 3 academically reviewed report summarising key findings, conclusions and recommendations will be producedA final report collating the findings from the 3 phases will be produced and published Phase 1 intends to assess the synergistic opportunities to use both hydrogen as fuel for sludge drying and oxygen on site for aeration and options for wastewater reuse for electrolysis feedstock through H100 Fife. Other opportunities and risks will be identified to give recommendations for future roll out of similar schemes at water utility assets. Phase 1 will address the cost-effectiveness of options identified to provide a representative business case example. To assess the suitability of hydrogen replacing natural gas in Levenmouth WWTW the impact of this demand on the H100 Fife production facility (including the water and power input) will be investigated. The benefits of phase 1 is understanding the feasibility of the above to generate more value from recycled water by using it for hydrogen production, with hydrogen and oxygen being used as for wastewater processing, and hydrogen storage for power outage incidents/ Phase 2 looks at wider applications of hydrogen use in the East Neuk area. The options for decarbonisation of transport for fleet operations (potentially Scottish Waters fleet) will be investigated. Technology options will be considered alongside local opportunities, vehicle types and refuelling requirements. Phase 2 will then look at the impactof scaling up hydrogen production to meet this increasing demand affects the power, network and gas supply chain. There will be a stage gate between phase 2 and phase 3 to determine the most suitable option for progressing with regional replication based on outputs from phases 1 and 2. However, a proposed scope is set out belowPhase 3 will investigate hydrogen production from biogas, to potentially provide an alternative to fossil fuel reformation. The overall concept of production of hydrogen from biogas results in biogenic CO2 emissions associated with the process but these could be captured to potentially result in “negative” carbon emission. The application of carbon capture technology to biogas-based hydrogen production will be studied to benchmark efficiencies and overall carbon emission reduction potential. Following this, the project will investigate high-level options for developing hydrogen hubs in the region centred on anaerobic digestion plant at wastewater treatment facilities which could potentially alleviate local power constrain by using hydrogen as an energy store. The technologies identified in phase 1 and the economic assessment will be looked at from a national and regional roll out perspective. A final report collating the findings from the three phases will be produced and published An academic review will be undertaken for each project phase report and final report. The objectives of the project are to determine- the feasibility of carbon negative anaerobic digestion of waste, by producing hydrogen from biogas and capturing the CO2 for sequestration, or utilisation. - Feasibility of recovering wastewater effluent for electrolyser feedstock as an alternative to the potable water currently required - the hydrogen supply requirements to fuel the wastewater treatment works and sludge drying process- feasibility of the oxygen produced from electrolysis to supply the wastewater treatment process- the impacts of large-scale hydrogen production on water and power sectors | |
| Abstract | The UKs Net Zero emissions target by 2050, Scotlands more ambitious targets of net zero by 2045 and the water industrys commitment to net zero by 2030 presents a significant challenge across all the utility sectors. New decarbonisation opportunities need to be identified quickly and implemented in short timescales to meet these challenging targets. Wastewater treatment is an energy intensive process and presents an excellent opportunity to explore industrial and commercial decarbonisation aligning with the UK Governments Ten Point Plan for a Hydrogen Town | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 02/11/22 | |
