10 Apr 2018
Scottish leisure centre heated by waste water described as 'forefront of renewable energy revolution'
BY Tom Walker
A £1m sustainable energy project at the Aqualibrium leisure centre in Campbelltown, Scotland, will see the facility being powered almost entirely by heat created from waste water.
A joint venture between Scottish Water Horizons and SHARC Energy Systems, the initiative will intercept waste water from Scottish Water’s adjacent Kinloch Park Pumping Station.
The technology will then extract the naturally occurring residual heat, amplify it and transfer it to the clean water network to provide heating to the leisure centre.
Following the installation of the SHARC technology, the new system will meet 95 per cent of the facility’s heating needs and use just 25 per cent of the energy it currently takes to heat it with gas.
The low-carbon, sustainable and environmentally-friendly energy system will heat the 25m swimming pool, fitness suite, steam room, sauna and library at the Aqualibrium – which is owned and operated by Argyll & Bute Council.
The project is part of a joint venture between SHARC and Scottish Water Horizons, which aims to establish wastewater heat recovery systems across Scotland.
Scottish Water Horizons will provide commercial funding for the projects, with SHARC Energy providing the design, build and operational expertise for the green energy installations.
The Scottish Government is supporting the schemes by providing 50 per cent grant capital support through its LCITP (Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme).
Russ Burton, chief operating officer of SHARC Energy Systems, said: “We have long thought that leisure centres are a great opportunity for SHARC and heat pump technology and we look forward to working with Argyll and Bute council to make this scheme as successful as our first installation at Borders College in Galashiels.
"The Aqualibrium project is a significant step for the joint venture and SHARC, demonstrating how our technology provides a real, sustainable and renewable alternative heat service to customers in rural communities as well as urban centres."
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