Business
Kier : to deliver £29m Blackburn upgrade through United Utilities Enterprise
Kier : to deliver £29m Blackburn upgrade through United Utilities
About this update from Kier Group Plc
Kier has been appointed through United Utilities' Enterprise to progress a £29 million package of design, development and early works to support the proposed development of a new Advanced Anaerobic Digestion facility at Blackburn Wastewater Treatment Works. Early works are now under way on the preparatory works for the scheme, which will have an overall value of around £170m if approved, with Kier progressing design development, surveys, ground investigations, enabling activity and site preparation. United Utilities' Enterprise brings together the people who operate, design and build United Utilities' assets, alongside specialist suppliers, so that projects can be developed collectively from an early stage. At Blackburn, the Enterprise team is developing the project solution, programme and delivery strategy while United Utilities progresses the relevant planning and approval processes. Subject to planning and final project approval, the proposed upgrade would help future-proof the Blackburn site, strengthen United Utilities' regional bioresources network and increase the amount of renewable energy generated at the facility. The scheme forms part of United Utilities' wider drive to reduce operational carbon emissions and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The proposed facility would be capable of treating an average of around 45,000 tonnes of dry solids each year, with additional capacity to manage seasonal demand, support future population growth and respond to planned or unplanned outages elsewhere in the network. The proposed solution includes new thermal hydrolysis and advanced anaerobic digestion facilities, which would produce an enhanced biosolids product and are designed to increase renewable biogas production by around 20% compared with the traditional anaerobic digestion process currently used at the site. Once operational, the site is projected to produce around 127,000 MWh of renewable biogas energy each year. United Utilities is already using the same technology successfully at Davyhulme in Manchester, its largest wastewater treatment facility, where it produces renewable electricity and biomethane. Andy Lingham, Managing Director for Water at Kier Infrastructure, said: Blackburn is an important investment in the future resilience of United Utilities' bioresources network, and we are pleased to be progressing the current programme through United Utilities' Enterprise. By bringing operational, design, construction and specialist expertise together from the outset, the Enterprise can make better-informed decisions and develop a solution around the long-term needs of the site. Our £29 million package is progressing the design and early works while United Utilities continues through the planning and approval process. Tom Lissett, United Utilities Bioresources and Green Energy Director explained: The facility at Blackburn will allow us to increase our renewable energy production and is an important step forward on our journey to Net Zero. This approach has already been successful at Davyhulme, and we are looking forward to extending it further. The scheme is designed to deliver benefits now and enable us to deliver future innovations to increase biogas production and capture CO2 when new technologies become more readily available. The scope and timing of any subsequent construction phase will be confirmed following planning permission and final project approval.