The Shawfair development is an urban design masterplan that will see the development of over 3,000 new homes, two primary schools, a secondary school and 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m2) of commercial and retail space. The development is situated just outside the eastern boundary of the city of Edinburgh. Shawfair LLP is a joint venture between Mactaggart & Mickel and Buccleuch Property.

Vattenfall Heat UK (part of Swedish energy company Vattenfall AB) and Midlothian Council are working together under a joint venture known as Midlothian Energy Limited (MEL) to deliver the heat network to supply Shawfair town with heating and hot water. This project is an important first step for the region. The Shawfair development forms a key part of Midlothian Energy Limited’s 5-year business plan to supply heat to over 30,000 households.

FES Group was delighted to win the competitive public tender as Principal Contractor to Midlothian Energy Limited to supply the Energy Centre and District Heating Network (DHN).

Project Description

FES Group was engaged by Midlothian Energy Limited to deliver the following:

•  FES was contracted, as Principal Contractor, to design and build the low-carbon heating Energy Centre and District Heating Network for Shawfair New Town.

The heat source for the heat network involves energy from waste captured from the Millerhill Recycling and Energy Recovery Centre operated by FCC Environment, adjacent to the MEL Energy Centre, delivered through a waste heat 10MWth plate heat exchanged connection.

The heat is distributed through a 4km district heating network which serves 3 no. heat substations, incorporating water to water plate heat exchangers and secondary pump sets for the house developers to connect the secondary network on to distribute heat to the new homes.

There is capacity for future expansion to increase the network capacity to 20MW.

Sustainability

The initial phase of the project is expected to save over 2,500 tonnes of CO₂ per year; the equivalent of taking 1,200 cars off the road.

Prefabrication

FES made good use of prefabrication for pump skids, all large bore pipework sections and also prefabricated and installed secondary steelwork to support the M&E services. This avoided the need for having floor mounted supports, leaving space for future expansion and maintained clear access to the plant and equipment within the Energy Centre.

Outcome

The Energy Centre and District Heating Network were delivered on time and on budget.  There were zero accidents on the project.

Operation and Maintenance

FES Group secured the contract for operation and maintenance of the facility, following it being tendered via Public Contracts Scotland.  All tender aspects relating to the operation and maintenance contract were carried out using accurate data – for example, comprehensive asset lists – which were sent to all parties to allow tender submissions to be compiled accurately, and then assessed on a like for like basis.

Client Feedback

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Martin Abercromby, John Cameron and the wider team for the successful delivery of this project which, despite the challenges, has been delivered on budget, on time and, most importantly, safely. 

 It has been a pleasure to work with you all on this project and I look forward to our ongoing relationship whilst we deliver the remaining components as we grow this fantastic Energy Centre and District Heating Network that has been constructed.”

Mark Street, Senior Project Manager, Vattenfall UK

A £0.6m project to install over 886 solar panels has been completed at a wastewater treatment works in East Ayrshire, supporting Scottish Water’s pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2040.

The site, located in Cumnock, East Ayrshire, has been fitted out with a combination of ground and roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, helping to lower the carbon footprint of wastewater services in the surrounding areas.

FES Group was delighted to be awarded the contract as Principal Contractor for the design and build of this Solar PV Farm via a competitive tendering process.

As Principal Contractor, FES Group was responsible for all site operations, including set up, site rules, traffic management and welfare etc. as detailed in the Construction Phase Plan. This detailed plan ensured that all works were delivered safely and with minimum disruption to the day-to-day operations of the Wastewater Treatment Works.

Project Description

Approx. 50% of the scheme was roof-mounted, installed on the roof of the Motor Control Centre (MCC) and the other 50% was ground mounted to the northern end of the site.  Upon completion of the installation the scheme was connected into an existing distribution board within the MCC.

Sustainability

The Solar PV farm will:

• Offset around 33 per cent of the electricity required to operate the facility
• generate 0.4 GWh of energy a year – that’s equivalent to the amount of energy needed to boil around 1.8 million kettles
• save around 97 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent tonnes per year

Client Feedback

“Overall, I was satisfied with the FES approach to the Cumnock PV project. The site was well run with H&S clearly being a priority. While there were challenges through the project, these were well managed, and solutions quickly identified.

 I look forward to working with the FES team again to deliver another quality project.”

Pat Stakim, Project Manager, Scottish Water

The client, Clyde Gateway, is an urban regeneration company which exists to drive inward investment and improvement for the people and communities across the East End of Glasgow and South Lanarkshire, with a focus on delivering social, economic and physical change to some 840 acres of territory. Integral to their work is physical regeneration, a key example of which is the remediation of the Shawfield site and associated development of a new multi-plot commercial development and Green Regeneration Innovation District (GRID).

The D2 GRIDs project comprises of a new 5th Generation District Heating & Cooling network, a new ground-mounted PV/ Solar system featuring 800 solar panels, Energy Centre build and Tesla Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The system is designed to supply heating and cooling to the surrounding buildings in the most efficient way possible with the ability to connect future buildings to the network.

The new Energy Centre serves the existing Red Tree Magenta building with future connections allowed for the Magenta Technology Hub (still to be built). The project included:

• 5th Generation District Heating & Cooling network (pilot scheme)
• Low Carbon District Energy Network
• Low-Grade Heat Source from a Wastewater Treatment Works
• 400 kW PV Ground-Mounted Solar Farm and 67.5kWh Battery Storage
• New Energy Centre (including utility supplies)

The initial pilot is limited to the provision of heat to the existing Red Tree Magenta building with the capacity to expand the heating/cooling provision to future developments (load dependent), and forms part of a European network of 5G pilot demonstrators on D2 GRIDs via the INTERREG North-West Europe Programme (European Regional Development Fund).

Project Description

A new 355mm diameter ambient network loop connects the Energy Centre located within Dalmarnock Wastewater Treatment Works to our new Energy Centre at D2 GRIDs. The ambient loop travels along Cotton Street (West), along Clyde Walkway (North) before crossing the existing smart bridge via 2 x 700mm diameter ducts forming part of the existing structure, crossing the River Clyde and ending 1.2 km away at our new Energy Centre. This ambient loop provides a supply for the heat pumps within our D2 GRIDs Energy Centre. These heat pumps then supply the district heating network. The heat pumps and associated controls within the Energy Centre are powered by the PV/ solar system and any additional power is then stored within the BESS.

Solar PV and BESS

The ultimate intent of the D2 GRIDs PV scheme is to supply energy generated from the grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage systems to the Energy Centre and speculative building connections within the Magenta Business Park using a centrally located 400kW PV array linked to a BESS.

The battery storage system is connected to charge from surplus energy generated through the PV scheme. It will discharge onto the energy centre once the demand is high enough or the PV yield is reduced (due to the available generation through the level of solar radiation that is available at any given time to be captured by the PV modules). This allows previously generated energy which has been stored to be used as opposed to importing from the grid. Surplus generation beyond the capacity of the battery storage system will then be exported from the energy centre onto the grid.

Prefabrication

The new Energy Centre was prefabricated at FES Group’s purpose-built manufacturing facility.  This ensured that bulky construction works were done in a safe, secure environment and were delivered to site ready for connections.

Sustainability

The primary source of heat for the ambient loop is wastewater from Scottish Water’s Wastewater Treatment works.

During peak generation there will be times when the solar PV system generates far in excess of what the building load is and once the batteries are full this will then be exported to the grid. The estimated value for grid export is 291,737kWh and the CO₂ emissions avoided is estimated to be 86,509 kg per year.

Client Feedback

 “This has been a complex project providing one of the first 5th generation heating and cooling projects in Scotland with a range of challenges. We are delighted to have engaged with FES on the project delivery in taking the project from concept to completion. Their understanding of client needs and proactive approach to project scope have benefitted the final outcomes and we’re pleased to continue their role in the operation and management of the project.”

Hugh Moore MPhil MRTPI IEMA
Project Manager, Clyde Gateway

Hamilton’s Wastewater Treatment Works plays a crucial part in keeping our waterways clean.

This investment by Scottish Water Horizons sees a first of its kind (in the UK) hydropower turbine installed mid process. The project will offset around 13% of the treatment work’s annual electricity demand, further supporting Scottish Water’s drive to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.

FES Group was delighted to be awarded the contract as Principal Contractor for the design and build of this hydropower scheme via a competitive tendering process.  As Principal Contractor, FES Group was responsible for all site operations, including set up, site rules, traffic management and welfare etc. as detailed in the Construction Phase Plan. This detailed plan ensured that all works were delivered safely and with minimum disruption to the day-to-day operations of the Wastewater Treatment Works.

Project Description

Construction of a hydro turbine generation scheme on the existing ‘flow to final settlement’ transfer pipe within Hamilton WWTW. The scheme is based on connecting a turbine and associated generator to the existing pipeline by creating a bypass to the turbine.

The draught tube, tailrace and turbine outlet was connected back into the existing transfer channel via a newly built channel which carries the flow to the final settlement tanks. The power generated from the scheme was connected back into the works at a local electrical switchboard.

FES Group provided the following services: detailed design, procurement, supply, delivery to site, offloading, moving into position, erection, construction, installation, site testing, commissioning, connections and G99 certificate and hand over to Scottish Water Horizons.

Sustainability

The scheme will:

• generate 0.42GWh of green energy p.a. (the equivalent of boiling 1.8 million kettles)
• save 64 tonnes of emissions p.a. (the equivalent of 13 flights from Glasgow – Sydney)
• offset around 13% of the site’s energy demand

Prefabrication

The turbine came as a prefabricated containerised solution. Prefabrication was used to reduce the carbon footprint associated with the construction of the scheme, reduce health and safety hazards associated with onsite installation and condense the time required on site.

Communication

Through the construction phase, we provided the client with fortnightly progress reports and programme updates. This regular communication was invaluable to building good relations and minimising disruption to day-to-day site operations.

Collaborative Working

Collaborative working is an integral part of every project throughout the Scottish Water Horizons framework. As we have done on other similar client frameworks, FES works were fully integrated with the client team.

 As part of the project and Scottish Water requirements, FES completed with Scottish Water and their technical teams, HAZOP and HAZCON reviews to ensure the design would not impact existing site operations.

 The FES team worked in a spirit of partnership working and collaboration with the client and wider project team to ensure a successful project delivery. Like any project, there were challenges to be overcome but there was nothing insurmountable for the FES team.

Outcome

The hydropower scheme at Hamilton was delivered on time and on budget.  There were zero accidents on the project. The scheme joins a growing portfolio of Scottish Water’s assets (water and wastewater treatment works) that are now either self-sufficient or partly sufficient in generating their own power requirements.

Client Feedback

“As a long-standing partner, FES Group has consistently demonstrated invaluable expertise in delivering complex projects.

“The successful installation of the UK’s first mid-process hydropower turbine at Hamilton Wastewater Treatment Works is testament to their capability. Their detailed planning, robust safety protocols and collaborative approach were critical to the project’s success.

“Despite challenges such as weather-dependent shutdowns, FES Group effectively overcame obstacles to ensure timely delivery.

“The innovative solution now offsets 13% of our site’s energy demand, supporting our net zero goals. We appreciate FES Group’s dedication to sustainability, and we look forward to future collaborations.”

Neil Beaumont, Senior Project Manager at Scottish Water Horizons

Balmore Water Treatment Works (WTW) is Scottish Water’s largest water treatment works. It provides clean water to approximately 850,000 homes across Scotland’s central belt.

Balmore WTW is also one of Scottish Water’s most energy intensive assets with annual electricity usage of over 20,000,000 kWh. As part of their net zero ambitions, Scottish Water Horizons, a subsidiary of Scottish Water, engaged with their solar PV framework contractors to design and build a solar farm on 44,300m² of available land throughout the site.

The £4.5m investment by Scottish Water Horizons sees 8,512 ground-mounted solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels installed at Balmore.

Principal Contractor:

FES Group was delighted to be awarded the contract as Principal Contractor for the design and build of this Solar PV Farm via a competitive tendering process.  As Principal Contractor, FES Group was responsible for all site operations, including set up, site rules, traffic management and welfare etc. as detailed in the Construction Phase Plan. This detailed plan ensured that all works were delivered safely and with minimum disruption to the day-to-day operations of the Water Treatment Works.

Project Description:

Design and build of ground mounted 5.5MW Solar PV Scheme to be installed on two areas of land within the overall site boundary. Independent Connection Provider contestable works on behalf of the client involved 2km fibre comms network back to the Balmore primary substation and construction of a new intake substation for Balmore WTW on behalf of Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN), including a new SPEN adopted HV switchboard.

The site is fed electricity by its own HV ring. As a National Electricity Registration Scheme (NERS) accredited HV installer, FES was able to offer an original design concept which ensured minimum disruption to this critical asset when connecting the solar PV farm. The solar panels feed DC current into two Medium Voltage Power Stations (MVPS), which invert the power to AC and then feed into the HV ring main on site. All the HV works were handled by FES’s in-house team.

Sustainability:

The Solar PV farm will:

• offset 20 per cent of the electricity required to operate the facility
• generate 4 GWh of energy a year – that’s enough energy to power around 1,300 standard UK homes
• save around 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per annum

Full Turnkey Service:

FES is providing operation and maintenance services for 2 years from the handover date. We have set up remote monitoring to monitor the power generation and inverters on site.

Client Feedback:

“It is a pleasure working with FES on the Scottish Water Framework. They operate like an extension of our team and understand our business goals, ensuring that they deliver critical projects like the one at Balmore on time and on budget. The Solar PV system at Balmore is our largest installation to date and FES fully understood the restrictions encountered whilst working within such a critical Scottish Water asset. FES adapted and dealt with any Health and Safety and Construction issues timeously to keep the project on track and achieved switch on as per the original programme dates.”

Ian Piggott, Senior Project Manager, Scottish Water

An innovative low carbon transport hub has been opened in Castleview Stirling, with the project being designed and constructed by FES Support Services on behalf of Stirling Council.

The Castleview Low Carbon Transport Hub is the second project in the A9 Electrification Scheme delivered by FES Support Services and plays a part in the Scottish Government plan to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2045.

The hub consists of 6 overhead solar canopies consisting of 864 x Sunpower 320W Solar Modules, 132 car parking spaces, a battery storage system, and 64 charging points.

The solar canopies are expected to generate 210,000kWh annually through low-cost, renewable energy for on-site electrical vehicle charging and street lighting.

There are six additional rapid (43/50kW) charger points, 18 additional fast (22kW) charger points, and 40 additional slow (7kW) charger points. The battery system consists of a Tesla Powerpack, with a storage capacity of 446kWh, 30% of the daily peak renewable energy generated, and discharges at a rate that will allow all car chargers on site to be in use concurrently.

The solar canopies are expected to generate 210,000kWh annually through low-cost, renewable energy

The hub will allow easy access to Stirling town centre and the M9 for electric car drivers with a crossing from the site and an improved active travel plan for site users.

The project received more than £1m funding through Transport Scotland’s Low Carbon Travel and Transport (LCTT) Challenge Fund, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

This funding was made up of more than £600,000 from ERDF and over £400,000 from Transport Scotland.

FES Support Services Ltd director Charlie Easton said: “The hub is the second project in the A9 Electrification Scheme designed and delivered by FES Support Services Ltd, demonstrating our commitment to delivering a carbon neutral future.”

Scottish Government Transport Minister Graeme Dey said: “The Castleview Low Carbon Transport Hub demonstrates the strength of ambition Stirling Council has in tackling the climate emergency and promoting sustainable travel.”

Convener of Stirling Council’s Environment and Housing Committee Councillor Jim Thomson said: “Castleview Low Carbon Transport Hub will generate roughly 250,000kWh annually, providing commuters, residents and visitors with increased opportunities for active and low carbon travel.”

Minister for Transport Graeme Dey said: “The Castleview Low Carbon Transport Hub demonstrates the strength of ambition Stirling Council has in tackling the climate emergency and promoting sustainable travel.”

Stirling Council’s environment and housing convener Councillor Jim Thomson said: “Castleview Low Carbon Transport Hub will generate roughly 250,000kWh annually, providing commuters, residents and visitors with increased opportunities for active and low carbon travel.

“With the electricity produced being used to power onsite buildings, car park lighting as well as charge vehicles, this is a massive step forward in our aims to meet our climate change targets and encourage more sustainable modes of transport.”

The new £333million TECA has the largest fuel cell installation in the UK and on a par with the largest in Europe.

The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA) is a multi-hundred million pound project that aims to attract millions of visitors a year on top of maintaining a low-carbon footprint through the use of renewable and sustainable energy technology.  TECA is expected to contribute an additional 4.5 million visitors, £113 million of visitor spend and £63m net GVA to the Scottish economy. It will also result in the creation of 352 full-time-equivalent permanent positions by year 10 of operations.

The core of TECA will function on the nation’s largest hydrogen fuel cell installation. The hydrogen fuel cells run on low-emission hydrogen fuels and have a total electrical output of 1.4MW, on par with some of the largest hydrogen fuel cell installations in Europe offering an independent source of reliable, affordable, low-emission heat and power for the 150-acre site. Hydrogen power-sources are beginning to take the forefront in renewable technologies, something that FES is proud to be a part of.

Adding to this renewable source of energy is an anaerobic power-plant that will use food waste, agricultural crops and other waste to produce biofuel that will be used to feed electricity into TECA.

The energy centre includes the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of 3no 460kW Purecell® Hydrogen fuel cell units, natural gas boilers, 1200kWe CHP, absorption chillers, chilled water chillers, control system and associated equipment.

 The HV infrastructure works include a high voltage point of connection, high voltage ring main and associated substations, transformers and switchgear. This included the design of a 33kV substation to SSE adoptable standards.

Stirling’s Forthside Way District Heating Project is a £6M project which was funded by Scottish Water Horizons, Stirling Council and LCITP, a scheme created by The Scottish Government and supported by the European Commission.

FES was involved in the design, installation and commissioning of the district heating network including all associated heat substations, controls and communication networks. We were also involved in the integration and ongoing efficient operation of the energy centre.

The project will see sewage systems generate low-carbon energy and reduce CO2 output by 381 tonnes. The district heating network utilises both CHP and sewage heat recovery systems, delivering a ground-breaking project, with the integrated system being the first in the UK to utilise both.

FES was engaged by SC and SWH for the:

• Design, installation, testing and commissioning of the DH network including associated heat substations, controls and communications network
• Design, installation, testing and commissioning of the energy centre including site investigations, construction build activities and ongoing O&M requirements 
• Subsequent integration and ongoing efficient operation of the above energy centre and DH network

We installed 2.5km of underground district heating pipework and fibre communication networks, throughout the design and build project. FES Energy integrated the district heating scheme into existing buildings throughout Forthside Way as part of the project.

The project has delivered low-carbon and energy cost savings to multiple local businesses such as The Peak Leisure Centre, Forthbank Stadium, St Modan’s High School and organisations such as Zero Waste Scotland and Volunteer Scotland. End-users are expected to save up to 10% on heating bills.

Since 2012 Stirling Council and FES Energy have collaborated to install solar panels on residential properties across Stirlingshire to help reduce fuel poverty and carbon emissions.

Overall, 10.7MWp has been installed across 3,600+ installations to date which have an anticipated solar generation of 7.8MWh/a each year, enough to meet the average annual electricity needs of 2000 homes. Over 50% of Stirling Council’s housing stock in the Stirlingshire area now have an installed solar array thanks to the initiative, the highest proportion of solar installs to residential properties in Scotland and 2nd highest proportion within the UK.

Stirling Council has invested over £18M to date on solar PV to its housing stock. This investment will be complemented by further investment in battery storage technology, with almost 300 Tesla Powerwall’s currently installed or to be installed in the next 12 months. 

The project won Residential Solar and/or Storage Project of the Year at the Solar Storage Live Awards 2019 and has reduced CO₂ emissions by over 3 tonnes.

The solar PV systems are expected to result in an estimated annual saving of just under £300 for each household when it comes to electricity bills, with additional potential savings for properties with battery storage technology.