Providing low carbon renewable energy to communities.

Our Heat Networks

Hill of Banchory

Operating since 2012, the Hill of Banchory Biomass Heat Network is one of the largest privately owned renewable networks in Scotland.

The network currently supplies heat to residential dwellings, office buildings, several industrial units, a micro distillery, car wash and Banchory Sports Village which opened in 2019.

The network will eventually supply heat to around 500 houses, along with a diverse range of commercial and community buildings.

The plant is sized to meet a forecast peak heat demand of 7.6MW and will supply 12,500MWh of heat per annum. The plant comprises both biomass and natural gas boilers, with 90% of heat currently generated from a 900kW wood chip boiler.

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Wood chip is produced locally from virgin forest timber which is supplemented with sawmill co-product and SRC willow. Currently around 1,000 tonnes of wood chip is used per annum, saving 600 tonnes of CO2e emissions compared with natural gas.

For more details on our Hill of Banchory scheme see the ‘How it Works’ section on our website.

Craigton Cottages

Craigton Cottages are nine privately let dwellings owned by Banchory Trust. As part of improvements to the dwellings, the Trust commissioned HoBESCo to install a biomass heating system to replace the existing electrical heating.

HoBESCo installed a 150kW KWB wood chip boiler within an existing outbuilding and constructed an underground concrete fuel store. Hot water is distributed from the plant room to the dwellings via pre-insulated underground pipework. Heat is transferred via a Hydraulic Interface Unit (HIU) installed within each dwelling and provides space heating and hot water.

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Wood chips are typically delivered by tipper truck every two weeks during the winter, which is conveyed automatically via auger to the boiler.

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The biomass heat network will supply 120MW of renewable heat per annum and save 100 tonnes of CO2 emissions versus electricity.

Woodend at Crathes – a community for the arts, sport and hospitality

The Barn, a multi-arts centre at Woodend, installed a 100kW wood pellet boiler in 2010 to provide heat to the arts centre and the adjoining Buchanan bistro.  HoBESCo took over operation of the plant in 2012 and extended the heating network to include a large private dwelling and Deeside Rugby Football Club’s changing rooms.  Replacing individual oil boilers, the low carbon heating system saves 70 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

Woodend

The Barn and Buchanan

2015-05-21 - Woodend Plantroom - HOBESCO

Woodend Plantroom

Deeside Rugby Club

Pantoch Cottages

A 35kW wood pellet boiler heats a terrace row of three traditional granite cottages. Previously heated by electric, the biomass boiler has resulted in significant savings to the occupants heating bills and delivers 15 tonnes of carbon savings annually.

b2015-12-23 - Pantoch Cottages Boiler House - HOBESCO

 


HOBESCO Ltd is a subsidiary of North Banchory Company (Registered in Scotland, Company Number SC336394)


Link: Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group

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