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Wildpoldersheid in Germany produces 321 % more energy than it uses and exports 4 million Euros of green power to the grid. They have wind farms, solar, 2 biogas plants ….

There are 160 neighbourhood co-ops set up in the UK to keep village shops, nurseries and pubs open.

There are over 40 energy co-ops set up to generate renewable energy from wind, solar or hydro projects.

Ovesco raised £ 400,000 for community solar in Lewes

This is a great time for Community enterprise

2Biogas plants and district heating

Compact town-scale biogas plants make good sense There are 7000 such plants in Germany and only 70 in the UK. A successful model needs support from the business community, residents and local farmers who will

take the fertiliser produced. Energise Sussex Coast Ltd has submitted an application for pre-planning funding to the Community Generation Fund.

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Hastings

Isfield

Beddingham

Mountfield

Lewes, Ham Lane

Gas to bio-methaneKey

Gas to grid

Gas to local CHP

East Sussex could support 3-4 biogas sites treating 70,000 – 100,000 tonnesof commercial bio-wastes (estimate) We are looking at all the options – Hastings is likely tobe the first (possibly the first in the UK)

Eastbourne

Rye

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How are we doing?

If we can raise £ 75 k for pre-planning costs (community engagement, surveys, planning

nsultant) we hope to apply for planning this summer

We are confident that we can source 8000-10000 tonnes of commercial and catering food waste

e are looking for social funders who will see this not only as an beneficial investment but as a key model

for other communities to pursue.

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This is what a standard plant would look like if made fromconcrete (cheaper than steel). Note the figure in the bottomright hand corner for scale

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Hastings site: we need around 3000 m2

To treat 12,000 tonnes per annum (Tpa) would require24-30 vehicle deliveries per week

We don’t need to take garden and landscape waste if we can source enough food waste. The best use of the heat would be if we could supply heat and power to EMMAUS and SAINSBURY – we are working on this. Local restaurants, pubs, butchers, farm produce wholesalers we have talked to would love to supply us – they are paying up to £ 26 for a single wheelie bin collection. A local collection could save them money and turn their waste into energy. They could be shareholders in the project.

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Food waste will come in tankers or sealed vehicles and all the tipping and processing will happen inside the building. This will be sealed, have negative pressure and a bio-filtration plant will absorb odours. Neighbours will not be able to see, hear or smell the plant.

The plant will have a de-packaging unit as supermarkets will not de-package their waste. One supermarket produces around 2 Tonnes of food waste per week.

It is essential that we find local users of the digestate – farms, woodland managers, market gardens. This is slowing down the uptake of AD plants in the UK

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ESCC planners advised that we would not need an EIA for this site but that bat or lizard and slow-worm surveys might be required. We are proposing a solar roof for the Reception Hall. We need to combine a planning application with a full community consultation.

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This is in the middle of a Swiss town, 15 metresfrom housing. It supplies a district heating system.

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Electricity is fed to the grid (or local users) heat can be used locally or to dry wood. The CHP runs 24/7 so maintaining it is expensive. Germany has 7000 of these plants (the UK 70)

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ELECTRICITY 2.98 Gigawatt hours (Gwh)

= 2,975 million Kwh (around 850 homes)

HEAT

Over 3 Gwh (we can use the heat locally or to dry wood for biomass heating or supply hot water to neighbouring sites)

Nearly 9,000 tonnes of very useful fertiliser

If we built one what would we get from 10,000 tonnesof food waste?

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We are working with a company that designed a new type of food waste bin for homes and businesses. It does not smell! One of the big 5 waste companies is now researching this with two Universities. What this means is that food waste (including pet litter) need only be collected every two weeks.

What’s more, the weight goes down by 8%. Waste contractors and Local Authorities would save money. So would businesses. And if you segregate food into one bin the other will be mostly dry recyclables. So recycling rates increase dramatically. Two bins are all that are necessary.

80 litre wheeled Aerobic Bin.

35 litre Aerobic Bin with lockable handle

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Biogas plants are more complex and have more risks than wind turbines, solar roofs or hydro-power stations.On the other hand they produce energy 24/7 and neatly demonstrate a closed loop process.

If we asked the community to invest we are only likely to raise a tiny % of the capital cost of the plant (bear in mind we are not that familiar with this technology in the UK).

For a farm-based anaerobic digester that does not treat food waste this would be a good idea – they need only cost £ 500 k compared to £ 5 mil.

In our model the Hastings Energy Co. would own the waste treatment plant (the anaerobic digester) and a community energy co-op -Energise Sussex Coast – would own the energy generation (the CHP plant). This can support a range of other community projects…

If the Hastings biogas plant is operational by mid to late 2013 it is likely to be one of the first of its kind, demonstrating that “waste” can be turned into a renewable energy resourcethat benefits the community and the environment.

Every town could have one

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ENERGISE SUSSEX COASTour renewable energy co-op

We are registering as an Industrial Provident Society for the benefit of the community – an IPS Ben Com

The BIG issue we aim to tackle in the region is fuel poverty in urban and rural communities

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A local biogas plant can contribute in several ways – apart from all itsobvious environmental benefits

•A green utility company interested in funding the plant and purchasing its “green” electricity can offer a “community tariff” to 250 vulnerable homes (saving each home up to £ 200 a year in electricity bills)

•In 2013 the local authority can retain the business rates for community benefit. This could contribute £ 50,000 p.a to the community

• Energise Sussex Coast will use its annual profits from the CHP plant to invest directly into energy improvements for vulnerable households

•The plant can provide training opportunities in green technologies and green collar jobs (in food waste collections and distribution of the by-products)

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Hastings and Bexhill Biogas co 

Waste Co.partners

buys biogas

Own waste collection service 

Signs 30 year lease for siteBuilds, owns and operates 

plant 

Proposed Hastings model

GATE FEES

£££

£££

£££

Energise Sussex Coast IPS  Builds, owns and operates 

CHP plant 

Revenue streams(commercial food waste)

Electricity tariffFIT

Heat TariffRHI

SALESTO GRID

Sales to local users

£££

Biogas plant/waste treatment

CHP plant/energy generation

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Contact details

Richard Watson

Richard@positiveenergysussex.co.uk

Tel 01424 719619

M 07854 951325