Cowdenbeath Liquid Waste Reception Facility Goes Green 

A £1 million solar scheme is now complete at Cowdenbeath liquid waste facility linked to Levenmouth Waste Water Treatment Works in Fife.  

Over 1,700 ground mounted solar panels have been installed at the site, which safely receives and stores commercial liquid waste before transferring it to Levenmouth Treatment Works for treatment and disposal.  

The project is expected to generate 0.53 GWh of green electricity a year, 60 per cent of which will be used on site to meet 29 per cent of the site’s total energy needs and helping to reduce operating costs.  The other 40 per cent will be exported to the grid.

Generating green, cost-effective energy

The system, which was designed to ensure both environmental and financial value, will continue delivering savings for over 30 years – providing resilience against the volatility of grid electricity prices. 

It will also save around 109 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year, the same as flying from Edinburgh to New York and back 222 times, making the treatment process at the site less carbon intensive and helping Scottish Water get closer towards meeting its goal of net zero emissions by 2040. 

Murdo MacAulay, project manager at Scottish Water Horizons, said: “This site handles large volumes of liquid waste which we store and release safely to ensure full environmental compliance.  

“It is great to see this solar scheme in operation at the site now, generating green energy and reducing the carbon associated with managing commercial and run-off waste.  

“We continue to deliver solar schemes at Scottish Water sites across the country as we focus on achieving our net zero target by 2040, which we are currently on track to achieve. Another important driver for these projects is reducing Scottish Water’s operating costs.” 

Boosting biodiversity onsite

Derek Ross, operator at the facility, said: “This scheme will allow 60 percent of the energy generated by the solar scheme to be used on site. In addition to the solar scheme, several biodiversity measures will be implemented on site including tree planting, log piles, seeding of wildflower meadows and new hedging to enhance habitats and support local wildlife.  
 
“Offsetting our carbon footprint is not just about using renewable energy technology but also about giving back to and protecting the natural environment at our sites.” 

The project was delivered by renewables specialists Absolute Solar and Wind.