SEVERN TRENT has secured £6.3million from Ofwat Innovation Fund to generate customer benefits.
The schemes will help customers to reduce their bills as well as help the environment.
The funding will also be used to research how to capture and reuse waste heat from sewers to heat homes and businesses – with the potential to heat 33million homes.
The funding will go towards the delivery of four projects to help customers in keeping bills down, reduce carbon generation, and create mineral-rich fertilisers to support agriculture.
One of the projects is in partnership with E.ON and Horiba MIRA to capture and convert waste heat from wastewater to provide heating for buildings.
The UK’s first in-sewer wastewater heat recovery system and energy centre will be installed in Nuenaton at Horiba MIRA’s technology park.
Rich Walwyn, Head of Asset Intelligence and Innovation at Severn Trent said: “We have set ourselves some really ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change – including the launch of the world’s first Net Zero Hub.
“UK water companies treat approximately 11billion litres of wastewater every day, which could offer around 400 TWh of renewable heat – that’s enough to heat 33 million homes.
“Having an in-sewer heat capture solution means that unlike options that capture heat from a sewage treatment works, this system can be placed close to where the heat will be used, reducing the amount of additional infrastructure required.”
All the data and learnings from the project will be openly shared with other water companies in England and Wales, promoting best practice.
The projects are due to start soon and will be completed at the end of 2026.
