CARBON EMISSIONS - WHITEHALL POWERPLANT SWITCHED ON
25 Oct 2005 04:00 AM
The Government today led the way in cutting carbon emissions when
Financial Secretary to the Treasury, John Healey MP, turned on
Whitehall's energy-saving District Heating System.
The combined heat and power (CHP) system not only provides heat to 18
Government Departments, including Number 10 and the Treasury, but
also produces electricity for use across Whitehall. It is estimated
that the energy-efficient plant will save taxpayers a projected
£140,000 a year in net running costs and reduce carbon emissions by
2,600 tonnes.
The energy-saving system, based in the newly refurbished Ministry of
Defence building, produces electricity from a single gas turbine
power plant, and utilises normally wasted heat using 12km of
insulated piping to warm Whitehall Departments. Its use will be key
in helping the Government reach its self-imposed target of 15% of
electricity consumption to come from good quality CHP by 2010.
Switching on the system, John Healey said:
"This is the largest energy-saving combined heat and power plant in
the Government estate which not only provides heat and light across
Whitehall, but also reduces carbon emissions and saves money."
"CHP is making a key contribution to the Government's drive to
promote energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions and the very
fact that Whitehall uses such a system reflects the Government's
continuing commitment to tackling climate change. "
Notes to editors
1. The Whitehall District Heating System provides heat to 18
Government office buildings in Whitehall amounting to 270,000 square
metres of floor space.
2. Electricity is generated by a gas turbine based unit producing
4.7Mw of electricity and 9Mw of heat. This is what is known as a
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant. Normal fuel is gas with the
ability to run on 35 sec oil during supply interruptions.
3. The CHP only uses 400kw of the electricity generated balance of
4.3Mw is exported to local electricity supplier London Energy.
4. Heat is provided by High Temperature Hot Water at temperatures of
up to 140 degrees centigrade pressurised to 10 Bar. Heat is converted
to low temperature hot water at buildings by plate heat
exchangers/storage calorifiers.
5. The original scheme was designed in the 1930s, with the three
original boilers installed in the 1951 and the full community heating
scheme being operational in 1966. It supplies government buildings
through 12 kms of underground heat mains and provides 34 GWh of heat
energy per annum - enough to supply around 3,000 homes. In 1993, the
Property Advisers to the Civil Estate carried out a detailed
feasibility study as the original boiler plant was nearing the end of
its useful life. It was decided that the scheme would be refurbished
and CHP introduced as it fulfils the objectives of long-term
sustainability in terms of energy use, environmental impact, economic
viability and Best Value. The CHP was originally completed in 1998.
However the refurbishment of the MoD building from 2002 to the
present and the economics of electricity generation have meant the
CHP has been off line, with the conventional heating system running
in the interim.
6. The Chancellor recently appointed Sir Nicholas Stern, the Head of
the Government Economic Service, to lead a review into the economics
of climate change which will report its findings to the Government in
the Autumn 2006. For further information please see HM Treasury press
notice 85/05.