Ewing full of praise for heat scheme

A WICK district heating scheme has been hailed as a trailblazer in Scotland by Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing.

During a visit to Ignis Wick Ltd’s base in the town, Mr Ewing welcomed plans to expand the network in a venture which took over from the ill-starred Wick Community Heat and Power initiative.

Company director Craig Ibbetson told the minister that the scheme, which supplies heat to around 200 houses in the town, could be expanded to 1000 homes. It already supplies Pulteney Distillery but could accommodate other buildings such as Caithness General Hospital, the Assembly Rooms and the new Wick High School campus.

Mr Ibbetson stressed the system, which uses locally-sourced wood chip, might be extended to other parts of the town north of the river at a later date.

Mr Ewing was delighted with what he saw during his tour of the premises.

"I am very impressed with the scheme and very pleased that it has been successful during the short period it has been operating," Mr Ewing told the Caithness Courier.

He acknowledged the heating scheme had "a chequered history" before Ignis took over last year. The company invested £2.5 million on a new boiler which was installed at its plant near the distillery just before Christmas. It underwent a number of tests and procedures before taking over from the previous oil-fired boiler.

The minister said the Wick scheme was "one of those leading the way" in Scotland. Similar projects are being undertaken in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Fife.

"Wick is a very good model," said Mr Ewing who believes such developments have an important role to play, especially in remote and rural areas where energy bills can be high. Ignis customers can save on average around £200 a year, it was stated. "That’s not something to be sniffed at," said the minister, who feels Scotland is "lagging behind other countries" when it comes to these schemes.

"District heating is an important means of achieving both carbon emission and fuel poverty targets as well as contributing to the development of a low-carbon economy and local economic regeneration," said Mr Ewing.

The Wick project was granted £226,000 from the Scottish Government’s district heating loan fund, which helped extend the network, including a connection to the Assembly Rooms, which is expected to take place soon.

"This type of scheme is a very good example of what we seek to achieve across Scotland. The system operates well so it makes sense to explore the possibility of a second phase," said Mr Ewing.

"Working with our partners, district heating will help to deliver our overall vision of a largely decarbonised heat sector by 2050, with significant progress by 2030."

Earlier this month the Scottish Government published a plan for an increase in the use of district heating in Scotland in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help alleviate fuel poverty.

Mr Ibbetson said the Wick scheme supplied heat at nearly two-thirds the cost of the next cheapest alternative, which for an average-sized house would save over £200 per year. It has also cut greenhouse gas emissions by over 90%.

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to show the minister what we have done in Wick," he said.

"The scheme has the potential to grow by 1000 homes and several major buildings in south Wick; all of which can benefit from lower cost heating and renewable energy.

"If we are successful in adding the larger buildings, it will be possible for the scheme to extend across the river, creating the possibility of supplying even more homes.

"We think this is a fantastic opportunity for the community in Wick and is consistent with the objectives of the Scottish Government."