Severnside Energy Recovery Centre selects Priva Blue ID BEMS

Upon completion, it is anticipated that the Severnside Energy Recovery Centre will be capable of processing up to 400,000 tonnes of non-recycled waste, with capacity to generate up to 34MW of electricity (the equivalent of powering 50,000 homes). The concept, which has been developed over the past 10 years, will also generate heating for the entire building.

Being delivered by owner Sita UK, the facility will provide new treatment and recovery operations to manage residual household waste from West London, which will arrive by rail.

Requirement for BEMS

Initially, SCS Group was brought in to provide the BEMS that would operate the heating, chilled and hot water systems, ventilation and five air-handling unit (AHU) plants, with every office having independent FCU (fan coil unit) control for user comfort. SCS Group was appointed by M&E contractor VVB Engineering, working for main construction contractor Sir Robert McAlpine, which in turn is carrying out the work for its client Hitachi Zosen Inova AG, a specialist in ‘energy from waste’ projects.

From its facility in Cardiff supporting Wales and the West, SCS Group recommended the use of Priva Blue ID for this landmark project.

Priva Blue ID is a cost-effective and modular BEMS that is flexible and easy to use. Setting a new standard in the building control market, Blue ID combines reliable hardware and intuitive software that helps building managers to get even better performances from their buildings.

The hardware consists of a base on which individual functional modules, containing all mission-critical components, can be installed allowing the controller modules to be selected according to the project requirements. Integration to other devices can be easily achieved using standard BMS protocols.

Additional needs

With the design of the BEMS approved, VVB tasked SCS Group with supplying damper monitoring and natural ventilation packages. The natural ventilation system regulates temperature within the process plant, which is critical to its operation. This functionality was duly integrated into the Priva Blue ID BEMS package for full control and monitoring. A fully integral, bespoke graphics system has also been provided.

“There are so many diverse systems on this project, all communicating in different protocols, but we managed to get them all linked and talking to each other using Priva controls and a Niagara head end,” explains SCS Group’s Pre-Construction Manager Mike Jackson. “Our approach is the same on every multiple package project, which is to simplify the control of building services by combining two or more typically disparate systems to remove duplicate hardware, software and project management. This strategy provides a leaner, more effective solution, which saves overall cost for the client.”

Best quality and value

Ultimately, the combination of expertise from SCS and technology from Priva will add value and optimise energy usage at every level of the new facility. In short, the approach has ensured the best quality and value for money for the client.