This INTERREG NWE project addresses the problem of excess energy use and high carbon emissions Waterway Management Organisations (WMO’s) cause across NWE when pumping water around the region’s rivers and canals, by jointly trialling technologies and more efficient ways of deploying them.
In order to measure the project success, baseline data on energy consumption and efficiency, and current CO2 emissions for the selected pilot sites was collated and reviewed to produce recommendations for delivering energy savings and CO2 emission reductions. Proposed high efficiency or novel solution selected pumps from partner sites will be tested in laboratory conditions at University of Liège’s Urban and Environmental Engineering research unit to identify real world performance and technological adaptations needed to reduce GHG emissions by an initial 15%.
The trials will allow the team to identify optimum equipment type and configurations for different hydrological scenarios and operational conditions and how existing technologies or energy solutions can be adapted to be applied across all North West Europe waterways and the wider pump manufacturing sector. These include:
- Variable speed drives to optimise efficiency
- IE3 & IE5 Motors • Smart Pump Control Systems
- Automated control using SCADA systems
- Smart metering to track electricity consumption at pump stations
- Potential of using pumps as turbines ('PAT technology')
- Electricity network supply load balancing Working with SME’s during the laboratory trials to test technology on the market across a range of operational waterway sites will help to find better solutions for Green Win partners.
Equipment, configurations and operational solutions identified will also be tested on site, at the 11 pilot locations across the UK, France and Ireland, with ‘on the spot’ practical input from SME’s to help us maximise the CO2 reduction. If successful these solutions will become permanent installations at each site, enhancing and securing water supplies for the future. SME’s involvement throughout the project will hopefully help find out how existing technologies or energy solutions can be adapted to be applied across all NWE waterways so that emerging technologies are tested at low risk to partners and go on to provide significant benefit to not only the project partners but also across the wider industry.