European Society for Ecological Economics Conference
Leeds Study tour Tuesday 30 June
Veolia Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility
The Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility is designed to remove recyclable waste from black bins and recover energy from what is left over. It will significantly reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfill. When recyclables have been removed the remaining residual waste is burnt in carefully controlled conditions.The heat from the process will be used to turn water into steam. The steam will then power turbines to generate around 11MW of electricity for export to the National Grid. This is enough to power in the region of 20,000 homes. Leeds City Council is also developing a proposal to export heat from the facility via a district heating network to supply energy to Council homes and city centre buildings.
The key features of the facility will include:
- A main building that we estimate will be approximately 42m high (for comparison the Leeds Civic Hall is 52m) with a slimline chimney stack design;
- A design that creates a positive landmark for the Aire Valley region of Leeds and the Cross Green Industrial Estate;
- An innovative design based upon the use of glass and timber framing, dubbed by some "the Greenhouse";
- A green ‘living' wall to the southern façade to enhance the visual impact and provide bio-diversity, one of the largest of its type in the country;
- A visitor centre that offers people the opportunity to learn more about the facility and other waste management issues.
Kelda wind turbine at Knostrop Waste Water Treatment Works
The wind turbine has being built by Kelda Water Services (KWS); a sister company of Yorkshire Water. KWS are a leading water and waste water contract operations company, who deliver large scale and long-term infrastructure schemes across the UK. The tower is 78 metres high with a rotor diameter of 90 metres. The tip of the blade at its highest point is 123 metres above ground level. It will generate 2.0MW of electricity, which has been estimated to be equivalent to the energy used by over 1000 homes every year. It will solely power Knostrop Waste Water Treatment Works and will supply around 10% of the site's energy requirements. Providing high quality drinking water and treating waste water for five million Yorkshire Water customers uses huge amounts of energy. Currently, most of this electricity is bought from commercial energy providers and like any electricity customer, Yorkshire Water's annual energy bill has increased significantly over recent years and now stands at around £50 million. This same electricity also emits damaging carbon into the environment as it's created, by burning unsustainable fossil fuels. It is estimated there will be an additional one million people living in Yorkshire region in the next 25 years and if nothing is done to tackle these energy challenges, Yorkshire Water's annual energy bill could increase significantly in future years. All of this could have an impact on customer bills and the environment, which is why Yorkshire Water is focused on driving down energy consumption and aiming to generate up to half of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The turbine is one of a number of renewable projects being looked at for Knostrop, along with Anaerobic Digestion, hydro-power, and possibly solar (PV).
Greenhouse, Beeston Road, Hunslet, Leeds, LS11 6AD
Greenhouse, located in South Leeds, is a pioneering sustainable development of 166 flats together with work spaces, on site gym, video conferencing facilities, deli café and other amenities. The building won the RIBA White Rose Award for Sustainability in 2010 and is striving for a BREEAM ‘Excellent' rating. The development comprises part refurbishment of a 1930s hostel together with supplemental new build to comprise one of the most sustainable and progressive developments in the UK whereby everything is designed to increase sustainability in the broadest sense. The building has exceptional levels of insulation vastly reducing the U values of the building envelope. The original brick structure has been