C & C Supplies Biomass Project
In September 2013 Garstang based Builders and Plumbing Merchants, C & C Supplies, came to the conclusion that their existing warm air circulation heating system wasn’t going to see them through another winter. The existing system had always struggled to maintain an even heat throughout the different work areas, so the research started for an efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly new heating system to heat the whole of their site encompassing the offices, shop, showroom and warehouse.
The decision was made to install the biomass heating system which fulfilled the green criteria and with the added bonus of the governments RHI incentive scheme, the heating system would pay for itself in a matter of years and continue to bring in a return a for years thereafter.
Collinson were involved in the project from an early stage working together with Denise Griffiths, project co-ordinator for the company and the boiler installers Sol-Air Renewables Ltd. Ian Wormleighton, Collinson Biomass Specialist said “It was great to be involved from outset , we were able to advise Denise of their exact requirements to provide sufficient storage and guarantee a reliable supply of pellets to the boilers’ Ian continued ‘ the storage and transportation of pellets is such an important component of the overall system, to burn efficiently the pellets must be kept in a dry, low humidity environment in order to be supplied to the boiler in their optimum condition which is where the Collinson storage and conveying equipment really excels”
The scope of supply from Collinson consisted of a 25 Tonne Silo providing a 10 month supply of pellets to be stored, for an aesthetic appeal a Slate Blue Plasteel Finish was chosen. For ease of management C&C opted for all the optional extras; a full set of sensors, high level to ensure the silo wasn’t overfilled and low level to provide early warning that levels were running low making sure that supply to the boiler wasn’t interrupted. As the silo will be located in a public access area explosion panels were included to address ATEX guidance, these included a burst detection sensor to provide visual notification via the control panel, to ensure a burst panel did not go unnoticed and ensure safety at all times. To transport the pellets in their optimum condition from the silo, a double auger system was installed to accommodate individual supply to two boilers.
The decision was made to install two Grundeg boilers for a couple of reasons, from a practical point of view, installing two boilers made it simple to heat all areas of the site but control the heat appropriately for the different work zones, whilst from a financial point of view installation of two boilers ensured maximum RHI payments could be earned. Existing space in the warehouse has been sacrificed and turned into a dedicated boiler control room benefitting the previously unheated warehouse with the luxury of a warm working environment through the winter months.
Although not a frequent requirement, the delivery of A1 EN Plus Wood Pellets to the silo is fast and easy with the wagons delivery hose securely coupling onto the Storz coupling for the pellets to be blown into the silo in the optimum condition for transportation to the boiler.
A Cyclone Dust Collector was also supplied to keep the area around the silo base clean from dust which can be generated during filling, the silo autovent seals during filling directing any dust down the exhaust pipe into the cyclone dust collector, being a public site clean and tidiness was of upmost importance.
The Biomass system is just part of C & C’s commitment to using renewable energy for the benefit of the company and the UK’s 2020 renewables target, already on site they have solar panels installed which assists in powering the site together with a solar thermal system which provides hot water during the summer months when the biomass boilers aren’t in operation. Denise commented “Following our investment into the Biomass system energy bills for the same period last year are substantially down, we’re 100% sure we made the right choice”. The Biomass Silos are also sparking great interest from customers who are intrigued to go and have a closer look at the silo and boiler system to find out how it all works!
