Northumbrian Water to be powered solely from renewables
All of Northumbrian Water’s 1,858 sites will be run using power generated from renewable electricity after signing a deal worth more than £100m with Danish energy supplier Orsted.
The deal, which covers the next four years, came into effect on April 1.
Northumbrian Water already uses 100% of its sewage sludge to create energy, via its anaerobic digestion site on Tyneside. It also operates England’s largest hydroelectric plant at Kielder Water in Northumberland.
Orsted supplies renewable electricity from nine offshore wind farms in the UK, with energy backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs).
It’s hoped that the deal will help Northumbrian Water achieve 125,000 tonnes of CO2 savings each year.
Commercial director Graham Southall said the deal would help cut costs and reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
‘Energy is an essential part of our business and our contract with Ørsted has enabled us to significantly reduce our carbon footprint, as well as driving down costs,’ he said.
Philip Carvel, category manager, added: ‘At Northumbrian Water, we want to work with forward-thinking, responsible supply partners whose values match our own. Orsted is a market leader in green energy solutions and has a remarkable vision for a more sustainable world.
‘Combining this with a highly competitive commercial offer means that we can keep costs down as well as reduce our environmental impact – a great result for our customers.’
Jeff Whittingham, managing director at Orsted Sales UK, said: ‘Orsted is driving the transition to low-carbon energy systems in the UK, and we believe that businesses should have access to renewable electricity supply without incurring additional cost.
‘Naturally, we are delighted that Northumbrian Water shares our ambition of creating this greener energy future. It’s exciting that such a large and trusted UK supplier places such a strong emphasis on sustainability.’
