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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	NIA_WPD_061
Title	Active Creosote Extraction (ACE)
Status	Completed
Energy Categories	Energy Efficiency(Industry) 50%; Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts) 50%;
Research Types	Applied Research and Development 100%
Science and Technology Fields	ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Environmental dimensions) 100%
Principal Investigator	Project Contact No email address given Western Power Distribution (WPD) - South Wales
Award Type	Network Innovation Allowance
Funding Source	Ofgem
Start Date	01 November 2021
End Date	31 March 2023
Duration	ENA months
Total Grant Value	£1,469,758
Industrial Sectors	Power
Region	Wales
Programme	Network Innovation Allowance
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Project Contact , Western Power Distribution (WPD) - South Wales (99.997%)
	Other Investigator	Project Contact , Western Power Distribution (WPD) - East Midlands (0.001%) Project Contact , Western Power Distribution (WPD) - South West (0.001%) Project Contact , Western Power Distribution (WPD) - West Midlands (0.001%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , Western Power Distribution (0.000%)
Web Site	https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA_WPD_061
Objectives	The project will compromise of 4 Work Packages.The first work package will involve procurement of the extraction system, test equipment and preparation of the test area before the extraction methods can be tested.The 2nd Work Package will involve testing the extraction system on a wood pole cut to 2.5 metres in length. This work package will test multiple methods of extracting the creosote. The best method identified will be taken on in work package 3.Work package 3 will involve modification to the extraction unit so that it can be used for a 5 metre wood pole.Work package 4 will aim to test methods of recycling the generated CO2. This will be after a go/no go stage due to possible high financial costs associated that can only be confirmed closer to the time. Upon closure of the project, an assessment will be made to deduce its commercial validity. Across all four license areas WPD currently has 1,377,000 treated wood poles facilitating the ED network. Annually 27,000 of these poles are replaced with redundant poles either being left for landowners or returned back to the local depot site. Poles which are returned to depot account for approximately 10% of the total poles replaced, therefore currently 90% are being left on site for landowners. As environmental restrictions and legislation become more stringent it is apparent that the activity of leaving poles for landowners is becoming less feasible and a restrictive method of disposing of redundant wood poles. Due to their creosote content, all returned redundant poles must be disposed of as hazardous waste and historically have been disposed of to landfill. The redundant poles cannot be reused nor can they be donated in bulk to other organisations. Since 2014, and in line with the waste hierarchy, the poles have been taken to a waste to energy incinerator facility in South Yorkshire for disposal, the only facility in the UK licensed to incinerate treated wood. In 2016/17 WPD spent £253,320 on the disposal of returned poles at the South Yorkshire facility, and the most current disposal figures, between November 2019 and October 2020, shows 840 tonnes of treated poles were sent for incineration at a cost of £185k. WPD is reliant on the continued operation of the South Yorkshire site to accept and dispose of all treated waste poles (currently only approximately 10% of all replaced wood poles), the volume of which is likely to increase in the near future as stated above.The projects main non-financial benefit will be creating a new and commercial method of disposing of creosote impregnated wood poles. This new method will significantly reduce the carbon emissions compared to the current incineration process. This method will create a new pathway for wood pole disposal and will also avoid any impact on the business if changes in legislation are made in the future. If the wood poles are deemed non-hazardous waste, they will be able to be re purposed, such as being donated to charities and being used for playgrounds and parks. This project will make a major contribution in meeting WPDs target of a net zero business by 2028. The objectives of the project are to;Develop an extraction method that can extract creosote from wood poles at a length of 2.5m.To determine the best type of extraction method that can be used for creosote extraction.To develop an extraction method that can extract creosote from wood poles at a length of 5.0m.To determine the best type of extraction method that can beused for creosote extraction.To develop the extraction method further to enable a carbon recovery unit within the extraction loop.To create a disposal method where wood poles can be deemed as non-hazardous waste.To assess the commercial validity of the extraction method.
Abstract	Active Creosote Extraction (ACE) is an environmental based innovation project aligning with decarbonisation and net zero. Disposal of creosote impregnated wood poles is a significant hazardous waste stream that is only going to escalate in the coming years, due to more stringent legislation likely to be put in place and the disposal method through landowners inevitably becoming unviable. Leaving high temperature incineration the only option, this method is a deterrent for DNOs needing to reduce their carbon emissions. By creating a method, where creosote can be extracted from redundant wood poles to such levels they are deemed non-hazardous waste, high temperature incineration can be avoided resulting in significant carbon emissions savings and taking a significant step to net zero.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	14/10/22