£1.4m solar scheme near
Edinburgh goes live

Solar Energy Powering Newbridge Waste Water Treatment Works

Scottish Water Horizons has completed work on a £1.4m solar and biodiversity scheme near Edinburgh, saving 221 tonnes of carbon a year.

The project, at Newbridge Waste Water Treatment Works on the outskirts of the city, consists of 2,016 ground mounted solar panels with the capacity to generate over 1GWh of energy each year.

Around half of that energy will be used on site, which is run as part of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) arrangement by operator Veolia. The scheme will meet a quarter of the treatment works energy needs and support Scottish Water’s drive to reach net zero emissions by 2040. The other half will be exported to the national grid.

Enhancing biodiversity to support local ecosystems

As part of the project, Scottish Water Horizons implemented significant biodiversity measures to enhance the local environment. These included the planting of ‘Wet Meadow’ and ‘Woodland Meadow’ seed mixes to support pollinators and native wildlife.

The scheme included six bird boxes, two bat boxes, as well as a badger access gate created to allow safe passage through the site. This underlines Scottish Water’s commitment to tackle the dramatic decline in biodiversity across the country.

A greener future for Newbridge and beyond

Scottish Water Horizons Project Manager Alan Mearns said: “We’re delighted that work is now complete on this latest solar power project. People in Newbridge can know that the processes involved in treating their waste water are now significantly greener.

“As the impact of the climate crisis becomes more apparent in the increasing frequency of extreme weather events across the UK, the need for immediate action to reduce emissions is very clear. Solar energy is a key strand of our journey towards net zero and we remain focused on reaching our ambitious targets.”

He added: “In addition to the carbon savings, we’ve taken meaningful steps to enhance the local biodiversity through the planting of wildflower meadows and installing bird, bat, and badger habitats.

“We are witnessing a stark decline in nature around the world, including Scotland. We are clear that we need to maximise the opportunities to improve and protect biodiversity across our land wherever possible, building these measures into projects as a matter of course. Restoring biodiversity will be key part of tackling the climate crisis.”

Veolia Contract and Stakeholder Manager Tracy Byford said: “The waste water industry is one of the largest consumers of energy and we are pleased to be working with Scottish Water to reduce our carbon footprint at Newbridge waste water treatment works.  We are a net exporter of green energy at Seafield treatment works, and this is another step toward more sustainable practices throughout the water treatment industry and wider ecological transformation.”

The Newbridge site joins a list of PV schemes already up and running at many Scottish Water assets, which are now either self-sufficient or partly sufficient in generating their own power requirements.

The scheme was delivered by renewable energy specialists Absolute Solar & Wind.