Vehicle Depot in Edinburgh

A new wood-chip installation has been completed in the centre of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The customer is the Fleet Services Department of the City of Edinburgh Council, which operates a vehicle repair and maintenance depot. The Council has entered into a heat supply contract with wood-fuel energy services company (ESCO), Torren Energy Ltd. The Council pays for heat delivered and the ESCO owns, operates and maintains the boiler plant – providing all fuel supplies and ash removal.

Heating a vehicle maintenance depot in Edinburgh with wood-chips

Description of plant

• Wood-chip boiler and associated fuel handling equipment at a vehicle maintenance depot.
• The wood-chip boiler replaced an old oil boiler.

Customer

• City of Edinburgh Council

Project developer

• (energy service co.) Torren Energy Limited

Boiler Capacity

• 360 kW

Type of fuel

• Chipped wood from forestry and waste wood

Size of fuel storage

• 25 m³ hopper

Annual consumption of fuel

• estimated to be 250 tonnes (moisture content between 30 and 40%).

Supplied buildings

• Vehicle repair body-shop (600 m2)
• Offices (200 m2)

Annual primary energy demand

• Expected to be 600 MWh/yr heat.

Year of start-up

• August, 2003

Further details

• The heat supplied is measured by an ultra-sonic heat-meter.
• The customer pays for heat consumed (fixed for 5 years).
• The ESCO is responsible for all maintenance, fuel supplies and ash removal.

ESCO contract

• The customer has entered into a heat supply contract with the wood-fuel ESCO.
• The ESCO retains ownership of the boiler and equipment.
• The customer paid for the new heat distribution system within the building.