€53.7 million to be invested in advanced AD process

As reported by local news outlet, The Glamorgan Gem, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water is set to begin a €53.7 million ($63.1 million) investment scheme to improve the ‘green energy’ output at one of its facilities.

Named Cog Moors, the wastewater treatment works is in the town of Sully in southern Wales. The plant in question was built in the 1990s and assists in filtering wastewater for upwards of 200,000 people.

An upgrade of the site’s original anaerobic digestion (AD) plant is part of the investment scheme. The plant will undertake construction of an additional advanced AD process (AAD).

The AAD will enable more biogas to be produced from the waste, which will then be converted into electricity.

“Energy is one of the biggest costs for our organisation and so we are always looking for new ways of producing our own renewable energy. Welsh Water is unique in the water industry as it doesn’t have any shareholders, so any financial savings, such as reduction in energy costs, means that more money can be reinvested in the business for the benefit of customers,” said Steve Earlam, Welsh Water’s Capital Programme delivery manager.

“The planned improvements at the Cog Moors treatment works will go a long way to helping us to achieve our energy efficiency targets.”

Construction is set to start at the end of September of this year and the plant should be ‘operational’ by 2020.