CooperOstlund delivers CHP optimisation programme for Anglian Water

As part of a strategic programme to further improve operational efficiencies, Anglian Water engaged CooperOstlund to install state-of-the-art control panels to CHP engines at 11 wastewater treatment sites nationwide. Following completion, engineers can now control each engine without the need for specialist support – improving efficiencies, maximising performance and reducing downtime.

Where there’s muck, there’s brass
A leading utility company operating across the East of England, Anglian Water provides drinking water supply, drainage, sewerage and water treatment for thousands of homes and businesses region-wide. The organisation prides itself on a dedication to excellence, achieving drinking water quality figures consistently above 99.96%.

With a company-wide pledge to achieving carbon net zero status by 2030, Anglian Water is committed to ensuring its operations are efficient, sustainable and environmentally-friendly. Alongside significant investment into PV arrays and wind turbines, one key tactic to achieve this ambition is through the adoption of anaerobic digestion (AD) technology across ten sludge treatment centres nationwide.

Capturing the methane released from waste during the water recycling process, a suite of CHP engines are used to combust biogas into renewable heat and power. Most of this energy is used to drive on-site operations, with any excess exported to the National Grid. Even the sludge residue is harnessed during the process, firstly pasteurised to eliminate bacteria, before being repurposed as a sustainable fertiliser by local farmers.

Harnessing the environmental benefits of the AD process enables Anglian Water to not only reduce carbon emissions and reliance on mains supply, but also turn unwanted waste into a valuable resource – a totally closed-loop solution.

However, with the facilities operational 24/7/365, ensuring that each CHP engine continues to run at optimum efficiency is critical. As such, day-to-day management is delivered by a team of highly skilled engineers.

A point of frustration for the engineers was the proprietary control panels fitted to each CHP engine, which required specialist support from the manufacturer to deliver simple monitoring and control processes. Complicating operations and preventing valuable insight into numerous engines across multiple sites, the lack of flexibility was hampering efficiencies.

To solve the issue, Anglian Water approached CooperOstlund, the UK’s leading provider of CHP installation, maintenance and optimisation solutions, to install open protocol alternatives to engines at 11 sites. With positive experiences from previous projects, Anglian Water knew they were the perfect company for the job.

Allowing engineers to monitor and control each engine without the need for specialist support, the Storm Energy Management (SEM) units provide immediate digital access. Alongside providing real-time efficiency data, the panels improve engine output efficiencies and minimise maintenance requirements.

Thanks to the expertise of the CooperOstlund team, renowned for its knowledge and first-hand experience with almost every make and model of CHP engine on the market, the panels were installed quickly and effectively. Following completion, the project has resulted in significant benefits – improving efficiencies, maximising performance and reducing downtime.

Tim Orsborne, CHP Technical Manager at Anglian Water, commented: “Operating such a wide range of gas engines across numerous sites, all varying sizes, specifications and brands, had previously created a real problem for us. Managing the portfolio was both time consuming and costly, which led us to search for a more holistic solution.

“The CooperOstlund team demonstrated significant experience in replacing proprietary control panels with open protocol alternatives, allowing real-time SCADA reporting, remote visualisation and rich data across multi-site portfolios. Once installed, we immediately had access to standardised reporting across all sites. This has since allowed us to reduce engine downtime, improve engine efficiencies, tactically deploy engineering resource and remotely manage our portfolio.”

Tim Broadhurst, Chief Commercial Officer at CooperOstlund, added: “Our experience, expertise and flexibility really sets us apart from the crowd. In the case of open protocol control panels, we have a tried and tested solution to provide CHP managers with comprehensive insight and management – even across multi-site portfolios.

“I’m pleased to hear such positive feedback from Anglian Water. It demonstrates precisely why CooperOstlund is the first choice for CHP installation, maintenance and optimisation.”

For more information about CooperOstlund, or to enquire about the installation of open protocol control panels for your CHP engine, visit us here.