SEAS Project Page
Feasibility Study Project Updates Public meeting 30th May 2012
What has been done to date?
Received £12,500 funding from Climate Challenge fund looking at half a dozen renewable energy schemes around Stonehaven in April 2009. A final report was submitted January 2010.
Since then SEAS has been trying to bring one or several of these schemes to fruition. It has several promising leads.
1. Cowie River Archimedes Screw
In the feasibility study we looked at a fish friendly worm screw across an existing and now defunct weir on the River Cowie.
There are many of old weirs in Scottish rivers. Using an Archimedes Screw is recognized not to harm fish. The theoretical power can be calculated as:
Power (kW) = Flow (m3/s) x Gravity (m3/s) x Height (m)
This gives the following figures for the 3 turbine options:
Location / Height (m) / Power (kW) / Annual Yield (MWh)Adjacent to weir / 1.5 / 4.8 / 25.3
Downstream of pipe / 2.5 / 8.6 / 45.2
Estate boundary / 3.0 / 10.3 / 54.2
Since the feasibility study has been completed, the Owners of Ury Estate have gone into receivership and the support from the Stonehaven and District Angling club has waned. Given the small power output (Average annual consumption for Scottish houses is 4.8 MWh [berr.gov.uk/files/file26372.pdf]) it was decided to not pursue this opportunity for the time being.
2. Open Air Swimming Pool
In our study we looked at solar, biomass, CHP and a combination of these to heat the Oper Air Pool with support of FOAP and council officials. None of these competed financially against the existing gas heating.
One option briefly considered, but not investigated as part of a feasibility study was to install either an air or marine sourced heat exchanger.
In 2010 and 2011 several companies were contacted, including RGU and Geothermalinternational. Except for academic RGU, none was willing to carry out a commercial feasibility study due to the high profile and large scope of this project.
We are still looking for a company interested ininvestigating our marine sourced heat exchanger idea.
3. Marine Wave Power
Tides along this aprt of the North sea coastline are insufficient to warrant tidal power schemes. However, Stonehaven bay experiences changable, but moderatly high sea states. Stonehaven may be suitable as a test site for variable wave height/direction generators.
SEAS contacted Ecosse-Subsea / RGU in Oct 2005 to see if a collaboration could be set up for an experiemtnatal research station in conjunction with MRI and SEAS. Last contact between Ecosse Subsea and SEAS was in Dec 2011. Ecosse-Subsea are still interested in a collaboration, but the company has currently no concrete projects.
Most companies who are currently investigating wave power are investigating Atlantic Style waves as these are more predicatable and ahve higher energy. However, any system proven to work at Stonehaven is likely to also work up and down the North Sea Coast, close to centres of population and thus consumers.
Maritime Rescue Institute has previously shown an interest to act as shore base for any research project. SEAS is still looking for a wave power machine inventor to collaborate with, but has currently no further interested party.
4. Small Scale Wind Turbines
As part of the feasibility study sites for small (100 kW, 30m hub height, 20m rotor diameter were considered) at Mackie Academy and the Stonehaven Radio Station. Both the rector at Mackie or the land owner of the Radio station site were not interested in pursuing these options.
In March 2010 we identified the Redcloak Recycling facility as another option. We gained the full support from Aberdeenshire Area Manager and the Head of Recycling. The land owner (not ABZshire council) did not want to pursue this project when tentatively approached in June 2011.
In the absence of any other suitable sites close to Stoenhaven it was decided not to pursue a Small Scale wind turbine project for the time being.
6. Large Scale Wind turbine Projects
There are numerous Large Scale, Commercial wind turbine projects proposed and approved around Stonehaven. A detailed and up to date listing can be seen on the Cawt.co.uk website.
Source Cawt.co.uk 30 May 2012
It remains to be seen if it will be possible to set up a collaboration with one of these companies. Currently SEAS is not involved with any scheme listed on the map above.
Interested to get involved?
We are looking for interested residents of Stonehaven and the surrounding area to become part of SEAS.
Involvement ranges from general interest and helping steer SEAS towards worthwhile projects to becoming an active member/ director who is able to give a couple of hours a week.
Please contact us via the seasuk.org website if you want to join in.