Who we are
Agile Energy is developing low carbon energy parks around the UK and further afield. The catalyst for these parks is generally an Integrated Resource Recovery Facility (IRF) power plant. Each project is set up as a separate Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in which we deal with all aspects of the project from site identification through to planning/licensing applications, engagement with the local communities, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and operations/maintenance. We also attract complementary businesses that can benefit from sustainable, efficient use of electrical and heat energy. Our directors and the development team come from a varied and complementary background in engineering, commercial, project development, waste management and information technology. Most importantly, we are all entrepreneurs with a passion for improving the environment and employing the best technology for that task.
Mission statement
Much as we would like to, we do recognise that we cannot save the planet single-handedly, so our mission is to ensure that our Energy Park Projects are always an example of best practice, becoming a beacon for projects that follow and an example of how such projects can best contribute to the circular economy. We will involve the local community in shared ownership, use the best available IRF technology, ensure that we do not use viable recyclable material as fuel, make certain that we do no harm to people or the environment and ensure the project delivers a sustainable model which is commercially attractive for our investors. We are constantly working to attract complimentary businesses to the park which can take advantage of being co-located and secure commercial advantage from supply of competitive electricity and heat for the plant.
Increasing awareness of the dangers of plastic waste getting into the environment and the risk to aquifers and water supplies from landfill continue to drive an increasing need for responsible waste disposal that has some benefit to society. With a measure of imagination and vision it is possible to turn a polluting waste which poses serious threat to the environment, and turn that waste into recyclates and fuel. With the correct application of a variety of technologies and a community focused approach we are convinced that the projects will become an exemplar for other projects to follow.
Agile’s Energy Park approach addresses this need in a variety of ways and for example we are developing community owned and run district heating networks that will be provided with heat and energy by the renewable power plants. The Thainstone IRF is also planning to be a major contributor to Scotland’s carbon reduction target when we send captured CO2 to the Acorn Project.
IRF explained
In the UK, the traditional disposal route for waste materials that cannot be recycled has almost always been to landfill. This is unsustainable, wasteful and damaging to the environment – landfill gas produced by decomposing biodegradable material in landfill sites is methane and this gas is 28 x more damaging to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide (CO2). As well as preventing this from happening, resource recovery projects create energy in the form of electricity and hot water for heating houses or cooking/drying in an industrial process. Agile Energy has gone one step further by incorporating waste processing into our design so that we remove and recycle any remaining recyclable materials in the waste stream. We also use an advanced integrated energy conversion process, with world leading energy efficiency and producing significantly less emissions than the commonly employed grate firing technology found in the UK. Our circulating fluid bed (CFB) technology is simply the best available for this purpose. This choice of technologies is very important for several reasons, not least of which is that it addresses the increasing concern about the emissions to the atmosphere of small particulates. Our flue gas condensation technology addresses this problem.
Sweden has been employing energy recovery from waste materials to heat homes in the bigger cities such as Stockholm since the 1960’s. Indeed, Sweden has expanded the model to an extent that less than 1% of waste produced goes to landfill and they are importing waste from the UK and other European countries to provide them with the additional fuel they need. Sweden has never had a widespread use of gas (they have no domestic gas reserves) so they have always thought of waste, not as we do – as a problem to be got rid of) but as a resource and they have always had high recycling rates and think of residual waste as a fuel, not a problem. Watch the short video below for more information.
Our process is highly efficient, first at removing and seprateing any remianing recyclable material in the delivered raw waste and then in converting the energy in the remaining waste (fuel) to electricity and around 90% efficient when we deliver and use all of the heat from the plant. Look at our very simple generic process flow diagram below (click on the diagram below to zoom in) to get an idea of how the process works and where all the energy comes from and goes to. This diagram is typical of a Rankine cycle steam production system. Recall from school physics, that energy is never lost, it only changes form. So, all the energy contained in fuel, be it petrol, diesel, coal or waste materials is 100% converted from potential energy into other forms of energy, such as movement, electricity, heat and noise, when it is used as fuel for a power plant. Most older power stations (and many new ones unfortunately) waste up to 80% of the available energy in heat by discharging it to the atmosphere – that is what cooling towers do. Our power plant is designed to be as efficient as current technology allows and will not be wasteful of the energy available.
Gallery
Our HSE Advisor, Alan Wilson also happens to be an award-winning wildlife photographer and we present one of his superb photographs here every week which we hope you will enjoy. Make sure to visit his website alanwilsonphotography.com
Our Thainstone Energy Park project has received Full Planning Permission from Aberdeenshire Council in June 2021. You can click on this link which will take you to the planning portal documentation and further detail.
Investor information
The first part of the Thainstone Energy Park consisting of the Integrated Resource Recovery Facility (IRF) is nearing the next stage of development and the start of construction. The project is now in discussion with institutional investors to secure the next stage of funding for the build of the plant. Our plans for the next stages of the Thainstone Energy Park involving a variety of initiatives including a district heat network, green hydrogen production, horticulture, growing warm water prawns and carbon capture, storage and utilisation (CCUS) are all in varying stages of development and will offer further opportunity for individual investors of all sizes in due course. If you are interested in any or all of these opportunities, we have an open database of interested investors and you are invited to register your interest by contacting us through the ‘Contact Us’ button below.
Partners & Supporters
Liberty One Communications provides our projects with strategic support and guidance on media relations, community consultation and stakeholder engagement.
Natural Power began in Scotland in 1995 when its two founding members saw the potential in onshore wind as a way of reducing carbon emissions. Initially, Natural Power was involved in the planning and consenting of onshore wind farms, developing expertise on a number of fronts including energy resource assessment and landscape impact studies. As the industry has grown, so has their service provision. Natural Power’s team now totals 380 experts who are on hand to offer advice and support across the project lifecycle of a range of renewable technologies. Since its inception, Natural Power has delivered work on over 2,000 renewable energy projects in 37 countries across the globe.
Energy4All was formed in 2002 to expand the number of renewable energy co-operatives in the UK as an integral part of our transition to a low carbon economy. Energy4All is looking at the possibility of new co-operatives delivering community owned heat networks supplied with waste heat from the Energy Parks. The aim of these projects is to make affordable heat available. Such projects will be owned by an Energy Cooperative which will return profits to its members in each instance.
Dentons the world’s largest law firm has been supporting Agile on its journey to date , providing us with access to the largest array of legal talent in the world. The legal firm will put the resources of one of the world’s most innovative and forward-thinking law firms at our disposal.
Led by Bill Fowler, the Energy & Utilities team specializes in three key areas of the market: Oil & Gas, Renewables and Utilities. With a core team of 25+ lawyers, the dedicated multi-disciplinary renewables team includes specialists from MMS’ Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Capital Projects, Construction & Engineering, Corporate, EU, Competition & Regulatory, IP & Technology, Planning & Environmental, Property and Tax Departments.
Notch Architecture is a small and dynamic architectural practice focused on offering creative design solutions to get the best outcome. Notch Architecture enjoys the challenges of merging ideas with the reality of our environment and planning and budgets, and can draw experience from extensions through to larger residential and commercial projects.
The Resource Management Association Scotland (RMAS) is a not-for-profit, non-political membership organisation for micro, small and medium-sized resource management companies operating in Scotland. They facilitate dialogue and understanding with Scottish Government and regulators on compliance and policy implementation, including participating in parliamentary committees.