A dozen members of the 250-strong Helensburgh and Gareloch Horticultural Society visited Scottish Water’s Deerdykes Organics and Recycling Facility, outside Cumbernauld, to view first hand where their green-fingered cuttings and trimmings are going.
The society has already received some of Scottish Water Waste Services’ (SWWS) organic compost – Pod.
Currently Deerdykes takes green waste from Helensburgh and Lomond civic amenity sites. In addition to this, a segregated one-year food trial, which began in Helensburgh this April, is already proving successful.
Donald MacBrayne, SWWS Business Development Manager welcomed the Society’s interest in Pod and the surprises in store at the Deerdykes Facility: ‘The Horticultural Society members were delighted to learn that even the scraps off their plates are now going to promoting the Argyll & Bute’s beautiful blooms. Our Helensburgh Food Trial is going extremely well, with residents playing a significant part in the success of the project’.
Mr MacBrayne went on to talk about Scottish Water’s latest initiative in renewable energy generation: ‘Our pioneering Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility at Deerdykes will lead the way in green energy. When completed early next year, the facility will be capable of generating enough renewable electricity to heat, light and power nearly 2,000 homes’.
Construction of this facility, which will be the largest of its kind in Scotland, is currently ahead of schedule and is due to be operational in spring next year.
It will harness the gases produced by the natural break down of food waste and convert them into ‘green’ energy. This energy will be used to power the plant and excess electricity will be sold to the National Grid.
A district heating scheme, that could export heat directly to local homes and businesses, is also being investigated.
When the Deerdykes Anaerobic Digester is operational in Spring 2010, it will produce around 8,000MW of ‘green’ power from around 30,000 tonnes of waste each year.
Pingback: ken_greenenergy (Ken Scullin)
It’s really great to see how inventive everyone’s is getting.
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let’s hope they stop the excrement reaching campbeltown loch soon
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why does everything have to be Campbeltown Campbeltown Campbeltown????? there are sssssooooooo many more important things than Campbeltonians compaining about their excrement in our loch – enough already!
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Really Interesting. Thanks for the Info. I love your site.
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