http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/articles/i/5429/?cid=3
UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey is hailing National Grid and E.ON's efforts to create one of the most efficient power stations in the world in Kent in the southeast of England.
The joint approach will save up to 300,000 tonnes of CO2 annually by linking E.ON's new £500 million gas-fired power station to National Grid's liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the Isle of Grain.
Usually, the liquefied gas has to be heated up to put it into a gaseous state before it can be injected into the gas network. That heating is usually accomplished by burning gas, which according to National Grid accounts for some 2% of its throughput gas.
But now that heat will be supplied by E.ON's gas-fired power station, which will supply waste hot water via a heatpipe to the LNG terminal to heat the liquefied gas.
The mutually beneficial arrangement will use heat from the power station that would otherwise go to waste to save National Grid from having to burn gas to heat up the liquefied gas.
"It's a 'win win' for us as companies, and more importantly, for the environment," said chief executive of National Grid Steve Holliday yesterday in a statement. "Together, we have created the most efficient power generation and re-gasification plants in the UK."
Davey, who opened the 4.5 km heatpipe, welcomed the development as an "excellent example" of how one's waste energy can be used by another.
"It shows by constantly looking for efficiencies in everything we do we can make a big and lasting difference," he said.
According to Davey, the gas saved by National Grid for heating its LNG terminal is equivalent to that used by 100,000 homes a year, while the reduction to carbon emissions equates to taking 60,000 cars off the road.