Ørsted to Power Northumbrian Water

Ørsted has signed a contract with Northumbrian Water under which the UK water company will power all of its 1,858 sites using renewable energy for the next four years.

According to Northumbrian Water, the agreement will cover everything from its largest treatment works down to its smallest telemetry systems.

It builds upon the existing pillars of sustainability, including being the only water company in the UK to use 100% of its sewage sludge to create energy, through Advanced Anaerobic Digestion, at its treatment works in Howdon, on Tyneside, the company said.

“At Northumbrian Water, we want to work with forward thinking, responsible supply partners whose values match our own. Ørsted is a market leader in green energy solutions and has a remarkable vision for a more sustainable world,” Philip Carvel, Northumbrian Water’s Category Manager, said.

“Combining this with a highly competitive commercial offer means that we can keep costs down as well as reduce our environmental impact – a great result for our customers.”

To remind, in 2016 Ørsted announced it would supply renewable electricity at no additional cost premium so that UK businesses can achieve their sustainability ambitions without commercial disadvantage.

Jeff Whittingham, Managing Director at Ørsted Sales (UK), said: “Ørsted is driving the transition to low-carbon energy systems in the UK, and we believe that businesses should have access to renewable electricity supply without incurring additional cost. Naturally, we are delighted that Northumbrian Water shares our ambition of creating this greener energy future. It′s exciting that such a large and trusted UK supplier places such a strong emphasis on sustainability.”

Ørsted supplies electricity from nine offshore wind farms in the UK, with the energy backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs), which means that Northumbrian Water can achieve 125,000 tonnes of CO2 savings each year, the company said.