City told smaller power plants best as incinerator plan stalls

THE city of Hull should be looking at smaller-scale renewable projects to achieve its dream of producing more green energy – rather than relying on one or two major projects.

A recent study suggested that Hull could increase the amount of green energy by more than 15 times.

A new incinerator, as many as nine large wind turbines, and small-scale biomass could produce 33MW of power by 2015, according to the report by AEA and Savills.

The city currently produces 2MW from the turbine at Croda.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However not a brick has been laid for the incinerator since planning permission was granted in 2007 and no funding has been forthcoming. It has also since transpired that the electricity generated by the incinerator probably will not qualify as "renewable".

Hull Friends of the Earth co-ordinator Sue Jolliffe said officials needed to concentrate on small-scale projects as well as larger schemes "otherwise nothing moves".

Last month, Danish firm Dong Energy said it was no longer pursuing plans for a largely wood-burning power station near Queen Elizabeth Dock.

Mrs Jolliffe said: "There's definitely too much talking going on and not enough action.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Hull should be aiming high but it should set itself a reasonable target and concentrate as well as the larger projects, on lots of smaller projects.

"What we really have to do is everyone cut down on energy use.

"There isn't an easy answer – whatever you are going to do is going to be difficult for someone or it will cost a lot of money."

The study, being considered by the environment and transport overview and scrutiny commission next Tuesday, identified five potential areas for large wind turbines.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But council planners believe there is room for up to nine turbines as large as the one at Croda as well as smaller turbines, between 20m and 80m in height, that could go on school playing fields, major transport corridors, car parks and smaller industrial and port sites.

Demand for smaller turbines is expected to pick up with feed-in tariffs offering attractive rates of return for domestic and small-scale renewable energy generation systems.

The study said biomass, followed by heat pumps, came out as the best of the renewable energy technologies, followed by large-scale wind and solar, with small-scale wind and tidal and energy from waste last.

Biomass boilers are being fitted in new schools and the council is looking at putting photovoltaic panels on buildings such as council car parks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The study has also recommended promoting district heating networks that are popular in many parts of Europe.

However, a report to the committee said the "greatest challenge would be finding willing investors to pay upfront for this costly infrastructure."

It also suggested promoting modern methods of building using factory-built modular units – that could be "of particular interest in Hull as they could tap into many of the skills used in the local caravan manufacturing industry."

Tests are currently being carried out on a pioneering generator, the Proteus NP 1000, which harnesses the power of the Humber to generate electricity.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The consultation was criticised for downplaying tidal power.

But planners say recent events have justified their caution. Earlier this month the Government announced it was scrapping the Severn Estuary barrage because of costs.

The report says: "This appears to justify our opinion that these kinds of technology are too experimental and expensive at the moment and are therefore unlikely to be developed as large-scale generators of electricity."

Related topics: