Energy Policy

"Northern Ireland Water is committed to the achievement of greater energy efficiency in all of its business activities. Within the constraints of maintaining our commitments to customers and to the protection of the environment we will endeavour to minimise our energy usage and costs."

(Northern Ireland Water Energy Policy Statement)

The annual energy bill for Northern Ireland Water during year 1999/2000 was £11 million, with electricity alone accounting for £10.7 million. Northern Ireland Water initiated an Implementation Strategy formulated around the following key objectives: 

  •  Reducing the unit cost of Electricity
  •  Reducing the number of energy 
         units used
  •  Energy Monitoring 
  •  Green Electricity 

    • Reducing the number of energy units used
    Northern Ireland Water participates fully in a joint venture with all the privatised companies in England and Wales, and the Scottish Water Authorities to develop engineering standards. Whole-life costs, efficiency, and reliability are major factors taken into consideration when selecting various process plant.

    Energy Monitoring
    Northern Ireland Water are conscious at all times of the balance which must be struck between achieving economy in the husbandry of energy resources on the one hand and utilising sufficient energy to avoid any erosion of our commitments on the other.

    We continually monitor connected load profiles, and make best use of energy, where possible, without sacrificing the organisation's commitments to maintaining and improving quality services to customers, to contributing towards the health and well-being of the community and to protecting the environment.

    Green Electricity
    At present Northern Ireland Water produce 5.6 GWh of "Green Electricity" per annum at several locations throughout Northern Ireland using a variety of generation processes. Two Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants and the Sewage Sludge Incinerator produce a total of 3.75 GWh, the remainder being produced using water turbines.

    With two new water turbines, due to be commissioned late summer 2001, the existing production from the two CHP plants, and the Incinerator, Northern Ireland Water will be in a position to produce 3% of its total electricity demand.

     

     

     

     
    We constantly monitor and make the best use of energy and costs.