News
A group from the Harmston Young Farmers Club in Lincolnshire visited the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant to find out more about how the plant is fuelled by straw (and woodchip) and how the Eco2 team at the plant works with farmers to ensure regular straw supplies.
The 38MW power station burns straw within a boiler that converts waste to superheat steam, which is used to drive a turbine coupled to a generator which produces electricity. The plant meets the electricity demand of around 65,000 homes.
Straw from Lincolnshire and further afield is bought by Sleaford REP and either stored on farms or at storage sites in readiness to be transported to the plant for combustion. The plant consumes approximately 55 bales per hour, about 240,000 tonnes per year.
As part of our regular visitor programme to explain how the renewable power station operates, members and friends of Sleaford Rotary Club visited the power station on May 30th. We aim to host visits from local groups on a monthly basis. We can host 12 people at a time, and each tour lasts approximately two hours. For further information, please email us or call 020 8392 8250.
Engineering students from Grantham College visited the power plant on May 2nd. It was an opportunity for the students to see how the power station generates renewable energy from the burning of straw and other forms of biomass, and to speak with the plant’s engineering team about their work.
The Grantham College students are studying for HNDs in Mechanical Engineering.
John Cole, General Manager at Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant said: “We are very pleased to host Grantham College, giving them the chance to see engineering in practice. It was also an opportunity for us to showcase our operations ,explain how we work with farmers and other fuel suppliers and how we bring benefit to Sleaford and the surrounding area.”
John Cole of Natural Power Ltd has been appointed General Manager of the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant.
John has worked in the power industry in the UK and overseas for over 40 years involved in the design, development, construction and operation of a wide variety of technologies. In the renewable energy sector, John has worked with a number of biomass power stations combusting cereal straws and wood chip as well as more unusual fuels such as poultry litter and MBM. As General Manager, and reporting to the plant’s owners Glennmont Partners, John has management responsibility for the plant, working alongside BWSC (the plant’s operation and maintenance team) and Eco2 Ltd which handles the sourcing and delivery of straw and other biomass to the plant.
Pupils in Year 5 from four local primary schools have been learning about the global impacts of climate change and speaking up to local leaders about the need for change. The Live Earth Competition, organised by Global Sleaford (an informal group of friends working to raise awareness of climate change), is supported by North Kesteven District Council, Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant and Christian Aid.
John Beverley, a volunteer teacher with Christian Aid, has engaged the children in interactive workshops in each of the schools involved. Christian Aid work widely throughout the world with poorer communities and see first hand the effect that climate change is having in other parts of the world. The workshops teach the pupils about the global impact of climate change, particularly in poorer communities around the world.
To support the teachers to educate students on the solutions to climate change, the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant has invited teachers on a tour to see how low carbon electricity is generated and supplied to local buildings, and will provide them with a primary school loan box of resources which are available to schools in North Kesteven.
The children are invited to write a letter to their local council leader and MP to ask them to help in tackling the problem. As well as learning more about climate change, the competition will help the pupils to understand and engage with the democratic process to bring about change.
‘Champions’ whose letters are shortlisted will be invited to attend a prize-giving event in the Council Chamber at the offices of North Kesteven District Council on 17th April. As well as receiving prizes for themselves and their school, the winners will have the opportunity to read their letters directly to the Leader of the Council and to speak to them about the issue.
For more information regarding the competition contact Les Parker, Global Sleaford; Tel: 01529 410702; Email: [email protected]
As winter is a particular time when National Grid requires power stations, such as the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant, to run and given how the Christmas holiday period falls this year, we have permission from North Kesteven District Council to allow us to deliver straw to the plant (and remove ash) on the afternoon of Saturday, 23rd December 2017 (2.00pm to 7.00pm).
Normally on Saturdays, we deliver straw to our plant between 8.00am and 2.00pm but because of the Christmas holidays we need extra delivery time on the 23rd; this additional half-day will allow us to maintain sufficient stock of straw so that the plant can maintain normal operations over the Christmas period, generating electricity into the National Grid and supplying heat to Sleaford swimming pool and other civic buildings in the town.
We will not be taking deliveries of straw (or removing ash) on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (nor New Year's Eve or New Year's Day). After Christmas, our normal deliveries will resume on Wednesday December 27th through to 2.00pm on Saturday December 30th, and resume again on Tuesday January 2nd.
Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant is member of the Kestevens Local Action Group, a public/private group that distributes monies from the Rural Development Programme for England across North and South Kesteven, to businesses and community groups who will make a contribution to growing the rural economy.
Local businesses, farmers, foresters and those involved in tourism, heritage and community initiatives can apply for grants to support activities that will boost the rural economy. This includes creating new jobs, growing businesses, increasing tourism and heritage visitors or providing new services in rural areas.
For more information on the Rural Development Programme and how to apply for a grant, please visit the Lincolnshire County Council website.
Glennmont Partners, the owners of the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant, is once again a sponsor of the North Kesteven District Council's Community Champions Awards. The Awards celebrate people in the local area who go above and beyond to support the environment, arts, sport or community.
With more than 130 nominations covering all ages and sectors of voluntary, community contributions last year, NKDC hopes to attract a broad range of nominations to showcase the level of unsung local heroism.
Glennmont is one of number of community-focused businesses who are on board this year who are just as keen as NKDC to ensure the huge amount of community-centred endeavours which goes on within the District are celebrated, applauded and awarded. People can nominate anyone living, working and carrying out their voluntary community work within North Kesteven within the eight categories:
Young Achievers Award
A young person aged 19 or under who has shown amazing bravery or excelled in any way, perhaps under adversity, through leadership or in pioneering a community project.
Community Business of the Year
A company or sole-trader whose business initiatives and charitable, neighbourly contributions have made a difference to their local communities.
Community Spirit Award
Personal service to the community through hard work, dedication and commitment.
Contribution to a Better Environment
A group, school, club, business or individual whose actions have a positive impact on the environment, locally, in a broader way or globally.
Contribution to the Arts
Any group, school, club, business or individual whose actions have a positive impact on the cultural richness of the District.
Contribution to Sport
A group, school, club, business or individual whose actions have a positive impact on sports and physical activity locally.
Contribution to Health & Wellbeing
An individual or group that has contributed to the wellbeing of others or excelled in making positive healthy lifestyle changes - physical or psychological - for themselves or others.
Longstanding contribution to an organisation or group
An individual who has contributed a huge amount of their time to a single charity, club, group or organisation.
How to Nominate: nominees must be living or undertaking their community work within North Kesteven. Go to www.nkawards.org to do it online or download a form or pick one up from your local parish council or NKDC council office.
Dr Caroline Johnson, the new MP for Sleaford & North Hykeham, visited the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant on Friday, March 17th. The visit was an opportunity for Dr Johnson to see how the power station generates clean electricity for local homes and businesses and meet the teams who own and operate the power station.
During her visit, Dr Johnson was briefed about how straw (the main fuel for the plant) is procured, stored and delivered to the plant and was told about the wide-ranging support that the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant has given to community organisations and projects since it entered operation in 2014. One of the main contributions has been the provision of free heat to the Sleaford swimming pool, the town’s football club and indoor bowls club, the William Alvey Primary School and the main office of North Kesteven District Council, and most recently financial support to upgrade broadband connectivity in Kirkby-la-Thorpe.
Peter Dickson, a director of Glennmont Partners, the owners of the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant, hosted Dr Johnson with Matthew Igoe, the plant manager. Peter said: “We were delighted to welcome Caroline to the Sleaford plant and explain how it operates, how we work with the farming community and how we have supported the local area through the Sleaford Community Fund.”
Dr Caroline Johnson MP said: “It was my first visit to the Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant; it was fascinating to see how electricity is produced from straw that is mainly sourced from farms in the region. I was also impressed by the level of support that Glennmont Partners and the Sleaford plant have given to local community projects, large and small - in Sleaford and Kirkby-la-Thorpe. All told, it was a most interesting visit.”
We will be generating electricity over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Given the planning restrictions on delivery times at the plant, the available storage space for straw at our plant and the need for us to run at full-load over the holiday period, we have been permitted by North Kesteven District Council to receive straw deliveries (and remove ash) on Tuesday, December 27th (restricted from 8.00am to 2.00pm). There will not be any deliveries on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day and January 2nd, a public holiday.