How will a new £40m 'poo power' facility in Brighouse make electricity?

An old sewage sludge incinerator in Brighouse built in 1992 will be demolished to make way for a £40m state-of-the-art facility energy and recycling centre converting human waste into electricity.
The sewage sludge incinerator in Brighouse set to be demolished to make way for a state of the art sludge recycling facilityThe sewage sludge incinerator in Brighouse set to be demolished to make way for a state of the art sludge recycling facility
The sewage sludge incinerator in Brighouse set to be demolished to make way for a state of the art sludge recycling facility

The electricity will be used to power Brighouse’s sewage treatment plant and feed into the national grid to power homes in Calderdale and Kirklees.

The new ‘poo-power’ technology, known officially as anaerobic digestion, will also reduce nitric oxide emissions from the site and help improve air quality.

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READ: Halifax care home branded ‘one of the worst in the country’Demolition of the old incinerator will begin mid-July including the removal of the prominent chimney and is expected to take four months to complete.

Yorkshire Water’s communications advisor Mark Allsop said: "This scheme supports our commitment to invest in renewable energy and benefit the environment as we look at ways of reducing carbon emissions.

"Anaerobic digestion is a fantastic technology, heating up sludge to produce a bio-gas which is used to generate electricity. The new facility is expected to be ready to open by mid-2021.”

Rescue by Calder Valley team at UK's highest beach sparks safety warningInvestment in this unique type of renewable energy technology has played a leading role in reducing the firm’s carbon footprint, with 18 of its major sewage treatment works each generating electricity from this renewable source.

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Located off Cooper Bridge Road next to the River Calder, Brighouse sewage treatment works was damaged during the 2015 Boxing Day Floods meaning sludge had to be transported off site to be treated elsewhere.