Renewable energy that disposes of a ‘foul’ pollutant at Fibropower
At the time it was constructed, Fibropower was the UK’s largest ‘green’ power station and the first to use poultry litter, drawn from the huge concentration of local Suffolk poultry farms, as its fuel.
The UK produces over 1.5m tonnes of litter per annum and its disposal has caused significant environmental problems, releasing polluting nitrates into the water supply as well as atmospherically damaging methane – over 20 times as destructive as C02. Fibropower burns around 125,00 tonnes, half Suffolk’s waste, to generate 12.5megawatts of power plus a clean by-product of nitrate-free fertiliser.
According to its operator EPR: “The renewable electricity generated by Eye Power Station reduced CO2 emissions by around 19,500 tonnes in the twelve-month period ended 30 June 2021.’’
Our advocacy for the scheme in terms of its environmental benefits and architectural quality helped secure EU grant funding and then local support for the power station itself. Fibropower is sited on a disused airfield next to an industrial area in Suffolk. From a distance, the gleaming, silver-clad form looks unequivocally industrial, but its impact it softened by grass banked enclosures. The bulk of the plant is contained in a barn-like volume with a crisply detailed curved roof. To reduce the impact of large areas of profiled sheeting, the cladding purlins are in a contrasting colour and fixed externally, giving the 40m long elevations grain and texture. The new plant nestles between grass banked bund walls within a screen of poplar trees.
Main plant with shed on right and exterior heat exchange left
Main boiler and turbine within shed and external heat exchanger left
Renewable energy that disposes of a ‘foul’ pollutant at Fibropower
At the time it was constructed, Fibropower was the UK’s largest ‘green’ power station and the first to use poultry litter, drawn from the huge concentration of local Suffolk poultry farms, as its fuel.
The UK produces over 1.5m tonnes of litter per annum and its disposal has caused significant environmental problems, releasing polluting nitrates into the water supply as well as atmospherically damaging methane – over 20 times as destructive as C02. Fibropower burns around 125,00 tonnes, half Suffolk’s waste, to generate 12.5megawatts of power plus a clean by-product of nitrate-free fertiliser.
According to its operator EPR: “The renewable electricity generated by Eye Power Station reduced CO2 emissions by around 19,500 tonnes in the twelve-month period ended 30 June 2021.’’
Our advocacy for the scheme in terms of its environmental benefits and architectural quality helped secure EU grant funding and then local support for the power station itself. Fibropower is sited on a disused airfield next to an industrial area in Suffolk. From a distance, the gleaming, silver-clad form looks unequivocally industrial, but its impact it softened by grass banked enclosures. The bulk of the plant is contained in a barn-like volume with a crisply detailed curved roof. To reduce the impact of large areas of profiled sheeting, the cladding purlins are in a contrasting colour and fixed externally, giving the 40m long elevations grain and texture. The new plant nestles between grass banked bund walls within a screen of poplar trees.
