Lerwick District Heating and Energy Recovery Plant
Lerwick District Heating and Energy Recovery Plant is a district heating scheme based in Lerwick, Shetland and operated by the Shetland Islands Council. There is an additional input of heat from a private biomass plant. The main offices are located close to the Lerwick Power Station along with a 12 MWh heat accumulator. Heat is not provided from the power station as it is due to be closed.
Heat distribution
The district heating scheme has over 30 km of mains pipes connecting to 1,200 properties.[1] These properties range from hospitals, schools, leisure centre, industry, retail to housing.
Energy recovery plant
The energy recovery plant burns 22,000 tonnes of waste per year from Shetland, Orkney and offshore and heats water for the district heating scheme.[2]
Future plans
It is hoped that heat will be available from the proposed new power station due to be built by 2019. However this cannot be guaranteed as there is a possibility that an interconnector cable, Shetland HVDC Connection will be laid to Shetland from the Scottish Mainland over 100 km away. The power station would still have to be built for security of supply. In the meantime a 2 MW electric powered heat pump to abstract heat from the sea is being planned for 2016. Another possibility being considered is electric boilers powered by wind turbines which could help grid stabilization.