Powersystems, have completed the commissioning of a private wire to supply renewable electricity between Black Dog Biogas, the owner of an anaerobic digestion plant near Newport on the Isle of Wight to Vestas’ neighbouring wind blade manufacturing facility.
This follows on from Powersystems original involvement in 2016 where they delivered both the grid connection and electrical balance of plant on what was the first Active Network Management (ANM) system to be carried out on SSEN network on the Isle of White.
Powersystems installed the high voltage (HV) infrastructure at both Black Dog Biogas and Vestas to allow for the interconnection of their 11kV Networks.
Darren Sampson, Project Manager at Powersystems said,
“Powersystems installed, tested and commissioned a Schneider Genie Evo Panel as an extension to Vestas existing infrastructure to enable generated power to be exported from the Black Dog Site. New high voltage switch gear was installed at the Black Dog site, with motor control to allow Vestas to benefit from either green energy or alternatively via their existing metered connection when the site is under maintenance.
The system is monitored and operated automatically via an Argand Solutions panel which monitors the HV network across both sites.
When the Vestas site has a low demand for energy , the bio gas plant is able to automatically move their export position to enable them to power directly top the grid. The changeover over supplies are only anticipated during times that the Vestas sites is powered down for an annual maintenance. The system is therefore configured to ensure that all other times Vestas will be powered 24/7 by green energy, thus reducing their carbon footprint.
Led by Black Dog Biogas and its manager Earth Capital, the initiative will supply low-carbon electricity to Vestas’ facility. Vestas will use this renewable electricity to manufacture offshore wind turbine blades that will generate low carbon power in wind farms. The project is the first-of-its-kind on the Isle of Wight.
Black Dog Biogas generates sufficient power to supply around 80% of Vestas’ needs, as well as around 1,200 homes on the Isle of Wight.
The anaerobic digestion plant
The Company’s biogas generates renewable electricity through anaerobic digestion, where organic matter, such as maize and grass, in this case 100% sourced from the Isle of Wight, are broken down by enzymes to produce biogas and biofertiliser.
Black Dog uses the biogas as a fuel in two combined-heat-and-power units to generate renewable heat and electricity. The nutrient-rich biofertiliser is spread back onto arable farmland on the Isle of Wight, helping to grow more crops for the Black Dog facility and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
This helps support a circular economy and avoids the use of carbon intensive fertilisers on the Island.
James Luter, Senior Factory Director at Vestas’ Isle of Wight facility said,
“Our plant on the Isle of Wight is strategically important to our growing offshore business. The UK is a world leader in offshore wind and the Government has unveiled ambitious plans to expand capacity further, a vision we wholeheartedly support.
“We’re pleased that we can contribute to a more sustainable future, by now using renewable energy from Black Dog to manufacture our blades.”
Dr Simon Crook, Director of Black Dog and Investment Director of Earth Capital said,
“This is a great opportunity for two neighbouring green businesses to deliver a scheme that both makes environmental and commercial sense. We could not have wished for a better partner with which to deliver this project.
“Collaborations such as this are vital in helping the UK reduce carbon emissions and embrace renewable energy. Biogas is an important part of the low-carbon energy mix and it has the potential to reduce waste to landfill by converting household food waste into energy as well.”
Earth Capital, the manager of Black Dog Biogas, is invested in the project through the firm’s Nobel Sustainability Fund®, a multi-phase, multi-geography fund, which invests across the sustainable and impact private markets, accelerating companies for growth, expansion, and subsequent acquisition.
Harnessing the Green Industrial Revolution
Last year the UK Government announced a Ten Point Plan to mobilise government investment and to drive job creation to harness the Green Industrial Revolution.
Advancing offshore wind was recognised as a priority within the Ten Point Plan, with the UK setting an ambitious target of quadrupling the country’s offshore wind capacity by 2030.
Notes to Editors:
Contact Information:
- This article is written by Jules Daly, Marketing and Communications Manager at Powersystems UK.
- Email jules.daly@powersystemsuk.com Telephone 01454 318000
- Photography Copyright please credit all images used to powersystemsuk.co.uk
Powersystems are powering the transition to a carbon free future
As a high voltage specialist electrical engineering company with over 45 years (1977-2022) experience Powersystems have grown by reputation to become a trusted force in the design, installation and commissioning of electrical infrastructure across the UK.
Celebrating 25 years as the first Lloyds National Electricity Registration Scheme ‘s accredited Independent Connection Provider (ICP), Powersystems are capable of delivering contestable grid connections at voltages up to 132 kV.
Since 2000, Powersystems have connected over 6 Gigawatts of renewable energy generation to the UK electricity grid, along with decarbonisation technology which includes; wind energy projects, solar, anaerobic digestion, hydroelectric, electrical vehicle infrastructure, short term operating reserve STOR, combined heat and power (CHP), Grid stability projects like rotating stabilisers, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) as well as commercial industrial private wire networks.
Working with partners, delivering sustainable power solutions, proudly the Powersystems high voltage specialist team have connected 27% of all U.K. onshore wind farm
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