£1.5m solar panels will power waste water treatment facility

UNITED Untilities has been given permission to install more than 6,000 solar panels at its Fazakerly Waste Water Treatment Works in Liverpool.

Liverpool City Council’s planning department has granted a Lawful Development Certificate for the panels on a five acre site at the works.

The £1.5m funding for the scheme has come from Australian based global investment company Macquarie Group.

Construction of the panels – each 1.640metres x 0.940metres – is expected to take eight weeks.

The output of the panels, 1,512MW, is expected to supply nearly all of the energy used by the works.

In an leter to the council requesting permission, UU said: “United Utilities and all other regulated water companies has been challenged by OFWAT to maintain or reduce end users (general public) water and waste bills.

“The energy which UU uses to provide drinking water and waste water services has increased by a multiple of 2.5 times in real terms in the last 10 years.

“Investing in renewable technologies, such as solar, protects the
business and end users from energy price inflation, therefore contributes towards maintaining or reducing bills.”