View Full Version : Where has CHaP gone?
Anyone know whats happen to Wick's great White Elephant ,Sorry. Renewable Energy hope ????????
It was surposed to be all singing and dancing by now, we're well passed the PROMISED the up and running date ...
Is there any truth in that because the system has been burning Heavy Oil at 1 million litres a year and is still doing so ,they are looking for MORE TAXPAYERS money
But wait isn't Heavy Oil a fossil fuel and produces CO2,were are all those CO2 saving now !
the second coming
07-Jun-08, 21:57
sadly, this is a great concept being driven by people making decisions they are not experienced or qualified to make. I hear from the grapevine that some better folk have been employed and things are afoot to get the project up and running. I hope it works as it is a good idea, sadly it just hasnt been thought through very well
I have the heating system, I don't have a clue whats happening up there. Surley the customers should be hearing whether it be posted on this website or a newsletter just to let them know how there getting on up there. I e-mailed the guy 2months back asking for an update but still waiting!! I've had the chance a couple of times to work up there and the last time was 2 months ago, as far as I believe back then they were NEARLY there. Thought they might be up and running by now! If not i've blown 3k on a redundant heating system!!
Its just a pity that the CHaP boardmembers are not man/woman enough to accept they got it wrong ,and invite the folk that put the idea forward in the first place to sort things out and get it up and running ..
I have been waiting for that call from a certain Councillor and his boardmembers to help them out .I just wish that he was as quick to apologise as he was to phone offering vailed threats ...
The offer to CHaP has alway been on the table to help them out .I just wish they had taken on board the system we put forward instead of buying a system a certain company wanted SOLD !
There's a rumour going round that CHaP are spending ten's of thousands per month to these consultants...The figure kicking around is that CHaP has had over £8 MILLION invested so far ,how much more money will it consume before they either start up or fold up .Maybe its £10 pound notes they are burning when they said it was wood fuelled....
the second coming
08-Jun-08, 13:47
I believe the cost of consultants isnt quite as high as you mention but it was a closed door job with no opportunity for tender, company contacted, consultancy work given.
No cost/content comparison of offers. No work given to companies with bases and expertise in the Caithness area. Pretty galling really but that's the H&I Council, councillors, politicions etc etc. I think the word is Nepitism or 'jobs for the boys'. It just makes a mockery of where my tax goes.
If the county, region or country where a PLC, I'd sack the board of directors.
(Shameless use of someone elses quote)
In August 23th of last year CHaP had the begging bowl out again for more TAXPAYERS MONEY .This time to the Scottish Biomass Support Scheme for a second Gasifier..I could tell you the price of this piece of machinery but you could take a peek at the ITI-Energy website....if this was a lottery win it would make you very happy ..
I had a walk around the site yesterday and its a disgrace the culvert is full of rubbish and the place was deserted .....
Come on you CHaP board members where are you ?????
Does anyone know who is on the board ??
Is it a technical problem that is causing the hold-up or is the problem with sourcing the wood locally?:confused
Is it a technical problem that is causing the hold-up or is the problem with sourcing the wood locally?:confusedThere's not many trees in caithness.
Rheghead .I think its alot more than just a technical or woodfuel supply problem .
Its the WRONG system in the wrong place ,if you buy a system designed to use WASTE as a fuel and than try to replace that fuel with a lower grade biomass fuel you run into lots of problems .This scheme was from the outset desinged to burn WASTE and thats what CHaP should have said from the start ,but you dont get votes or funding from telling folk that you are going to burn WASTE on their doorstep ..We where promised that this leading design was a breakthrough in CHP using biomass .This design was used in TURKEY to burn WASTE not wood ...
We were promised it would be up and running LONG AGO ,but you dont hear a squeak from CHaP now thing are on the skids ..The local paper was happy to run every story that CHaP pumped out, but they dont want to chase the story why the project isn't up and running and keeping the public informed .As far as CHaP are concerned its good news or NO NEWS ...Its a pity that they seem to have little or no respect for the public /TAXPAYER THE ONE THAT IS FOOTING THE BILL ..
Margaret M.
10-Jun-08, 13:27
Sounds like this project smells worse than the waste they are not burning.
This scheme was from the outset desinged to burn WASTE and thats what CHaP should have said from the start ,but you dont get votes or funding from telling folk that you are going to burn WASTE on their doorstep ..We where promised that this leading design was a breakthrough in CHP using biomass .This design was used in TURKEY to burn WASTE not wood.
Thanks for the info. However, the information on caithness.org clearly states that the burners are 'Woodchip' burners, not waste burners. Just because the design was used in Turkey to burn waste doesn't mean that they were using them for what they were designed for. I am not saying you are wrong, I'm just saying that there is conflicting information.:confused
RHEGHEAD;The gasifier is from ITI Energy of Newcastle Uni New business group it is DESIGNED for WASTE ..ONLY ..but you can also use other materials and wood is one .The problems arise when the wood is high in moisture and low in quaility .When you run this type of system on wood the extra input in machinery,control systems, dryers etc all cost money ,time and expertise .All things CHaP board dont have . Its a bit like you trying to burn newly felled timber in an enclosed fire , nothing much happens .Gasifiers are tricky animals to feed and to get the right calorific return from.Please just check out the ITI-Energy wedsite ...If this was truly a project run for the benefit of the CommunityCHaP could have saved money and time if they had gone down the standard boiler route and used the flue gas recovery system to dry the timber ,this would have produced high pressure steam for electricity generation or if they are into ground breaking technology use the VORTEX Boiler which uses the high pressure vortex system to produce electricity first with the steam/hot water as a by product ..These systems were all put to Ms Marshall at the outset but were dismissed.Both of the systems mentioned can also if needed use waste ,when and if the Community decides to go down that route..The basic boiler system would produce 5mw, but the Vortex system is far more efficient and 15-20mw is possible ..The system CHaP use is a backdoor method into getting WASTE INCINIRATION accepted by Communities ,its dirty politics peddled on the fuel poor...
Community Energy in Scotland – Wick CHP system
The Wick CHaP scheme is an ITI Energy patented Gasifier . The gasifier has been designed to accept any sort of densified combustible solid material, in particular Refused Derived Fuel and tyre wastes, as long as the feed is appropriate to the feeding device to handle and within the design specification of the gasifier. The feed should be 80-90% dry solids (10-20% moisture in fuel). The fuel fed into the gasifier will produce combustible gas to be utilised in an internal combustion gas engine or duel fuel diesel engine and existing boilers using appropriately designed burners.
The gasification system includes cyclones for particulate control, vortex water scrubber to cool the product gas and plasma for control of the fine particulates in the gas stream. The scrubber has a closed effluent re-circulation system including in-line solids removal pump (optional). Semi solid residue removed from this closed loop can be fed back to the gasifier. No chemical dosing system is included as it is considered to be a fuel-specific item. In most cases, it is found to be un-necessary.
ITI Energy's waste preparation and gasification for gas generation and produced gas-treatment techniques are proven in various applications using a number of pilot systems as well as a full sized 1MWe Gasifier.
The ITI Energy gasifier has a footprint of only 12 metres by 4 metres which is very small when the output and efficiency of it is considered. This is due to the whole system being designed using process intensification and miniaturisation principles.
A major achievement of the ITI Energy gasifier is the very low level of tar and oil in the product gas which is an important feature if the gas is to be used for power generation via an internal combustion engine. The gasifier has higher conversion efficiency, larger throughput, and better economics compared to earlier gasifier designs.
The use of biomass fuel, especially biomass wastes (e.g. wood waste and refuse derived fuel), for distributed power production can be economically viable in many parts of the world. Biomass is a clean and renewable fuel. The potential applications for biomass gasification include the following:
Replacing current natural gas or diesel fuel use in industrial boilers or furnaces
Providing distributed power generation where power demands are less than a few megawatts
Displacing gasoline or diesel fuel in an internal combustion engine generator
From 1 tonne/hour biomass the ITI Energy Limited Gasifier can produce 8,000 MWe and 15,000 MWt per year net after taking out the parasitic load:
Gas from approximately 3.3 kg of biomass has the energy of one litre of diesel.
Gas from approximately 2.5 kg of biomass has the energy of one litre of petrol.
Gas from biomass has the calorific value of approximately 4-6 MJ1m³.
l kg of wood (at 20% moisture) produces 2.3m³ of gas.
Gas density is approximately 1059/1000 kg/Nm³. 40°C.
Depending on moisture content, wood consumption of the gasifier is approximately 1.0 - 1.5 kg/kWh electrical output and twice the thermal.
Riffman.
Good to see someone has looked at the website. Now we can all see that the Spin given by CHaP at the outset is different from the info provided by the ITI -Energy .We were told it was groundbreaking -a World leader ,well its a Gasifier that has a few tweeks to up the efficiency .Yes its a nice piece of kit ,but is it right for Caithness .
Like most folk, i just want it to work day in, day out, all day and as cost efficient as possible ,with the least Environmental Damage possible .
The people of Pultney just wanted cheap hot water /central heating for houses that have seen a lack of investment for years .If the ill concieved planting of timber in the 70s could provide the energy and also provide a few local jobs ,things would be fine .
CHP should be a people project ,make it simple , cheap to run with low Capital investment and we would have them all over Scotland .
The ITI-Energy Gasifier is a bit like buying a Formula 1 team when you really need a Community bus .One is fast all singing and dancing that costs a forture and runs with only one seat the other (the Community bus )is cheap to buy,run and everyone gets a seat and that benefits the many ..
Thats where CHaP went wrong ,they did little or no research into what type of system should be used .They where SOLD a system that others wanted them to have ..By the time they get it up and running the Capital costs are through the roof ,all the large building they hope to supply heat to will still have to have their own boilers as backup just in case ..So where the savings ???????We were told with one gasifier they would need 30.000 tonnes of timber per year to fuel it, now they say they are planning a second gasifier ,so whats the timber total now ????..The whole thing looks as if its going pear shaped ,but you can't get asnwers to these questions...
Would I be right the system cost ~£5 million and it heats about 330 homes? The system costs £15,000 per home, on a par with ground source heat pumps.
Rheghead.
Many of these homes stated have paid for the heating installation themselves (2500-3000) so i've been told.
I think the figure is closer to £8 million than 5 million,and with CHaP raiding every piggyback they can to find money , that figure will no doubt grow .With the price of haulage going through the roof ,that timber costs looks set to rocket . 30,000 or is it 60,000 tonnes of timber has a huge fossil fuel footprint just to fell it let alone ship,chip and haul to the plant .
Its the complete picture you have to look at ,from cutting the first tree down ,replanting ,haulage ,processing ,heat generation .waste its all in the total ..If the fuel you need takes 20 years mature then you are on a 20 year cycle .BIOMASS should be a long term project ,not a short term fix for votes ...
If they had used the TOTAL system ,the flue gas could have been used to dry the timber .That same flue gas after the drying could have also been used to heat the bio-digesters (converting green waste to compost) that flue gas even then is rich in cardon dioxide which can be vented into ploytunnels to help grow the next generation on trees ...Good CHPs have many links in the chain to make them more efficient ,so that the energy is never wasted ..
However good people think Gasifiers are, they can NEVER compete with the VORTEX boiler system on efficiency ...VORTEX Boilers are like JET ENGINES to the Gasifier piston partner ...One step to produce electricity with steam /hot water as a by product .The great thing about the VORTEX system is its flexible, they can consume all types of combustable material at the flick of a switch .....
According to this webpage they have been offered a grant for the 2nd gasifier:-
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/19185/BioSupport/SBSSAnnouncement
This webpage clearly shows that Councillor Graeme Smith has listed under his non-financial interests that he is director/chairman of Caithness Heating and Power:-
http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/yourward/ward03/ward-03g.htm
If ANYONE is in a position to know what is currently happening with the initiative, it is surely Mr Smith.
The idea that in this day and age you can get 'cheap heat' is ridiculous. It is never going to be significantly cheaper than the current oil based systems. The arguments are more for the fact that you get constant hot water, and do not require to have a independent boiler system with all the associated costs.
I just help co-write a paper on community heat and power schemes, I will see how much I am allowed to divulge..
SCORRIE;
Don't you find it strange that the Scottish Government are offering these groups money .Remember these groups have not put any of their own money on the line ,its all TAXPAYER FUNDED.
I think someone has had a word in the ear of the powers that be to hoodwink members of the public into believing that they are not ASKING for money, but are given more funding on the back of all there good works..
Come on ,we all know that Councils are desperate to reduce landfill and the Wick Gasifier is the Guineapig Project...under the cloak of Biomass .
I was wondering how many Hard working Taxpayers the Scottish Gov had phoned offering free help(heating equipment) or wads of money to , i'm still waiting for my call ..
The people of Wick should be treated with greater respect and the folk that paid to join the system should be kept better informed ,as should the public .After all it's us that is paying..
I would like to see round the project and have a word with those residents that have paid for the heating ,but i dont see CHaP offering me that any time soon.
A Wick Community Heat Project that produces heating and hot water for local sources deserves all our support ,but CHaP is not that type of project...It deserves to be scroutised and questions asked to assertain who and what is to benefit from the scheme...
Is there anything wrong with burning rubbish? I mean, how much taxpayer's money would be spent on buying land and managing a new landfill? Instead, this scheme could avoid that expense and provide heating and electrity. It could be a winner, no?:confused
OK, the commisioning has been delayed by a year, so what?:confused
Rheghead;
This burning rubbish in a heat to energy or WASTE to Energy Plant is a dangerous one to go down .
It throws up lots of questions for both sides ,for the council (they must reduce landfill ) and Joe Public (who would want the council to pay them for there waste ) as they will be getting revenue from that waste material resource .It would reduce recycling as we would all jam the wheelly bins full with combustable material to increase the weight to get a bigger rebate on the Council Tax.
Councils in this country have had 25 years to solve the problem and Europe has lead the way ,but we have stuck our heads in the sand as Governments passed the buck .Now we get the council asking for us to go green and cough up for their mistakes and mishandling .If we say we are willing to burn a small percentage of waste after all recyclable materials have been removed thats fine by me ,but the problem of the Wick Gasifier is that it needs a richer base material than what would be left .Its needs oil based material to produce the gas needed.
The Gasifier (we have be told is efficient) but its connected to a piston engine to produce electricity which is 30% efficent at best ..The thing is that some people have lied to get the project going and they dont expect engineers to stand up and ask questions they would rather not answer.
We have seen before coucillors withdraw from the debate because they know they got it wrong .
As before its a matter of respect.......
It would reduce recycling as we would all jam the wheelly bins full with combustable material to increase the weight to get a bigger rebate on the Council Tax.
Haven't you got that wrong? As far as I understand things, I've heard any proposals would mean that we will get a reduction in our council tax as an incentive to stop putting away stuff for disposal, hence the need to recycle as per the existing route.
Any reduction in the amount of rubbish we throw away will reduce the amount of expenses that the council should spend on disposal, including waste to heat, landfill etc.
I think it would be a dangerous road to go down if we had incentives to throw away more rubbish just so we could warm houses in Wick!!
Rheghead
This country is crap at recycling and the percentage figures used by the councills are somewhat untrue ,just watch the lorries leaving the recycling depot and going straight to Seater ...I could go on about how Europe have a different mind set and they have got there act together years ago .But there again you would know this ,here its all smoke and mirrors .I have studied most of Europe waste stream and how they use there recycled materials ,and Scotland ain't got a hope .Thats why Council's will sell the WASTE to ENERGY idea to all , and at your expense.
If communities are taken in by the spin , thats fine, they will ,SORRY their children will have to live with it, as there would be no turning back.
I did ask if CHaP if they would be using AIR SAMPLIERS linked to a 24hr website so folk could see what is coming out of the stack .I was told "know way its not part of the licence so we wont be doing that " .I said " it would put peoples mind at rest to know the the flue gases were safe ",thats the last i heard ..
Things to hide and secrets to keep. ..You judge, as these things are done in your name ,and with your blessing ......
If there are any residents living opposite CHaP and they own their property and would not mind a small (3ft)pole attached to there house to carry a moniter which is self powered to sample the air quality..please PM me ..
Better to be safe than sorry..
Did you know that CHaP is not a stand-alone scheme but a PARASITE SYSTEM .That means its NOT a wood in one end with heat and power out the other,from all under one roof .Its a process in where wood is processed through a gasifier to produce, gas which in turn is feed to a CHaP boiler and the excess going to a piston engine to drive a generator to produce electricity.As far as i'm lead to believe there is NO BOILER in the CHaP building ,they are in fact using the boilers that belong to and are housed in the Distillery .The boiler is oil fired at present but will be converted to run on CHaP gas ..So all the Hot water being used by the community and those large buildings in the future is coming from the Distillery...Crazy or what !
£8 million spent and more to come all for a system you DON'T own.It's like you having the gas meter and the radiators and next door having your boiler with the controls in there house ..
CHAPs? I thought you were talking about a gay nightclub in Edinburgh... Oh, it's been shut down too
Did you know that CHaP is not a stand-alone scheme but a PARASITE SYSTEM .
Can you give reference to another incidence where that terminology is used for a similiar scheme?:confused
Hi .
I tried the CHPA for info on who is building what , where and to what speck .They are not willing to provide info on any project ,which i find strange ..When i asking about the WICK CHaP ,they wanted my details and why was i asking these questions...So i will put pen to paper and request the info ,we'll just have to wait and see .....
Tubthumper
14-Jun-08, 14:51
Waste to energy seems like a good idea to me, rather use rubbish to heat some old biddies house than send it to rot in an expensive landfill site.
Dozy, with the depth of knowledge and experience of European waste performance and technical detail that you claim, I'm surprised you weren't contracted in as a consultant on the project.
Why not step up to the mark and volunteer to take on the role of Project Manager for this worthwhile cause: If the investment is there, I'm sure you're just the person to steer it to a successful and warm conclusion.
You might want to calm down a bit first though... professionals don't get excited.
Tubthunper;
Thanks for the vote of confidence but CHaP were given the offer to have us onboard but they turned it down flat stating "they had experts that would have things up and running in no time" .That was 2 years ago and i'm still waiting .
CHaP has been used to help kick open the door of INCINERATION and now its Invergordons turn .The company proposing the CHP have nodoubt done their homework (or tuned into the Org)and Gasifcation is NOT for them ,they are going for the cheap and most basic route ,just burn all the waste in a huge boiler to produce stream (5.1mw electric ,strange figure)..Plain and simple ,not as efficient as some but it works .This is not the way i would recommend,unless all the recyclable material was removed .The problem with this one is that they will take commercial and industrial waste .The tail will end up wagging the dog ,as we push to recycle and the waste stream starts to shrink(as it must) these INCINERATERS will still need a steady supply and that when the trouble will come full circle .Plants will import waste just to keep things going(they have a 25 year contact to the electricity company to forfill) ,thats why they are going for Invergordon .They can ship in the waste by the boat load ...You have stated that you think i have an angry outlook on the project ..I'm always Professional . Angry! No .Disappointed in CHaP " ALWAYS."...They had a great chance to show how it could and should be done and they failed ....
SCORRIE;
Don't you find it strange that the Scottish Government are offering these groups money .Remember these groups have not put any of their own money on the line ,its all TAXPAYER FUNDED.
I think someone has had a word in the ear of the powers that be to hoodwink members of the public into believing that they are not ASKING for money, but are given more funding on the back of all there good works..
Come on ,we all know that Councils are desperate to reduce landfill and the Wick Gasifier is the Guineapig Project...under the cloak of Biomass .
I was wondering how many Hard working Taxpayers the Scottish Gov had phoned offering free help(heating equipment) or wads of money to , i'm still waiting for my call ..
The people of Wick should be treated with greater respect and the folk that paid to join the system should be kept better informed ,as should the public .After all it's us that is paying..
I would like to see round the project and have a word with those residents that have paid for the heating ,but i dont see CHaP offering me that any time soon.
A Wick Community Heat Project that produces heating and hot water for local sources deserves all our support ,but CHaP is not that type of project...It deserves to be scroutised and questions asked to assertain who and what is to benefit from the scheme...
Sorry for the long delay in responding dozy.
I have not really followed the progress of the project so I am not really in a position to comment on how it has been going. I did consider signing up for the scheme but, after considering the amount we had to pay to have it installed, we passed it up. At the time our gas heating was comparable in price, so it seemed unnecessary to switch. Fuel prices have risen quite a bit since though.
There does seem to be a lack of recent progress reports though and it would be interesting to find out how near they are to running the system in the way it was intended. After all, I am sure the money was granted/invested on the heads of it reaching the intended goal.
Since Inver House Distillers and The Pulteneytown Peoples Project are the other partners in the venture, along with The Highland Council, it would seem fairly certain that they have people on the board of directors.
This article was about the best I could find on the subject:-
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/uploads/documents/housingbuildings/ceis_wick_cs.pdf
I hope it is interesting/helpful to those looking for information.
Tubthumper
16-Jun-08, 18:59
...CHaP were given the offer to have us onboard but they turned it down flat stating "they had experts that would have things up and running in no time" .That was 2 years ago and i'm still waiting...
Who are 'us' and how do 'us' qualify as more expert than CHaP's 'experts'? For example what community energy systems have you designed, installed &/or project managed?
Regarding the proposals for incinerating WASTE in Invergordon: Providing the flue gases are clean, why isn't it a good idea to use waste in this fashion? What do the Europeans do with all their waste?
Tubthumper ;
Are you sure that you want me to answer both your questions ????
Let's take the last one first .The system to be used in Invergordon is the most basic and may make sense to most folk .If the company planning this INCINERATER are so up front and want to burn your WASTE SAFELY ,they will need to be TRUSTED ,so why dont they publish their contact details ie; telephone number...along with their business info they are pushing on their website..
Some folk are too trusting and they take it that these companies are doing US a favour by burning WASTE .Well there not, they are in it for the MONEY ...
The waste you burn and how its burnt makes a huge difference to what goes up the stack get one WRONG and you have trouble ,get both WRONG and you can have catastrophy .. Just like Dundee ,they had the biggest of Boiler manufacturer's build there incinerater and it still went wrong..
Companies cant be trusted with this social responsability ,it should be run by a Trust ,this should be made up of local's ,not Councillors .After all if things go wrong its their children that will suffer ...Self interest is the best WATCHDOG...
Tubthumper
17-Jun-08, 20:23
We've lived quite comfortably with a nuclear plant along the road for 50 years, burning Mrs. Sinclair's auld cloots shouldn't give us the horrors..
I did wish you to answer both questions; 'Who are 'us' and how do 'us' qualify as more expert than CHaP's 'experts'? For example what community energy systems have you designed, installed &/or project managed?'
And never mind about WASTE and INCINERATER, companies want to make money, that's what they're for; What alternatives do YOU propose?
Also, how are the europeans doing it?
Tubthumper;
Answer 33 years in engineering ,132 CHP projects ,11007 direct recommendations/upgrades or design changes .Involved in the Nuclear ,Gas Oil .Waste ,Chemical ,Biomass and Renewable energy sector .We were involved in overseas projects ,as the UK sector is to far behind to merit any input
At present involved on a Offshore Tidal Compression project that will produce 200-600mw constant(as stated before)
What you and others are missing is that CHaP Wick missed the boat .When i put forword a Energy /Biomass plant i did my homework .I contacted the owners of the Forsinard Estate to remove their unwanted Timber .I contacted the farmers to see if we could use marginal land to produce timber .The plant used many of the things put forward before in this tread and others from using flue gas to dry the wood to using the CO2 to bring on the new tree seedlings ...Its when some who have little or no idea of what they speak thats when the problems arise.If you have experts that are willing to come forward to debate the project please contact me .I have asked CHaP consultants before to debate the project in the press and to date i'm still waiting
If you contact the local paper they will have on record the Energy plant which was to be based in Halkirk ,2 years before Wick even gave it a thought ...I still have the project on file ,even now its years ahead of the Wick project in its outlook and engineering...
I see you have the Queens Own badge as your tag ...??????
Rheghead
This country is crap at recycling ..
Yes it is.
I thinks todays article in the Groat is just the tip of the iceberg .
I think that what was in the Groat on Fri just sums it all up it has cost us the the taxpayer a fortune 240 houses taking in approx say 10.00 a week = £2400.00 the cost of the oil it is burning is phenominal 1000 lts a day plus the wages of chap i think that it is time this was given up as a white elephant
30,000 tonnes of woodchip seems an awful lot of wood to heat just 240 houses.:(
Its a catch 22 for CHaP ,the price of diesel fuel has a direct effect on the cost of the Timber , transportation and processing .All of these steps use vast amounts of fossil fuel,a new study shows that timber used in this method uses 57% more energy than it produces..
CHaP can still be rescued if the board face the truth and tackle the problems .It looks that they have already desided to walk away from the project. A project that would need another £2-3.5 million to see it through .In the local paper a boardmember stated that there were engineers all over the plant conducting tests .We visited the plant and a few folk that homes overlook the site did not see all the activity of what they speak,the site is still an eye sore and not the WORLD LEADING project PROMISED..
If they had taken the advice given and had not taken the veiw that locals are not capable of planning ,building and running a CHP ,the money saved could have built or refurbished the WICK HIGH SCHOOL plus much more.I just hope that the folk of Wick remember this come the next election, councillors and boardmembers have failed their community and should step down or resign to save the project ..
QUADBIKER
07-Jul-08, 21:12
A question or 2 for our local councillors whom are involved with Chap how much has been spent on this heating scheme to date and how much more needs to be spent to get it operational. I don't see any problems with disclosing how much this has cost as the bulk of the cost will be taxpayers money and is this not meant to be a community owned project. just to refresh memories did a local councillor not state in local paper how this was going to be the salvation of Pultneytown and was going to be one of the greatest things that came to Pultneytown. I believe one of our local councillors and there organisation are partners in this project and i quite believe she comes onto this site, i have asked honest questions here is it too much to ask for an honest answer?
Cinderella's Shoe
14-Mar-09, 20:43
Just wondering of anyone knows the latest on this scheme?
Good luck with resurrecting this post... shortly you won't be able to resurrect CHAP
Its a shame as its such a good idea but hasnt been thought out properly.How can they justify a scheme that technically you dont have to pay as they cant turn you off?
More thought should have gone into it but it seems like a big white elephant along similar lines to the woolen mill in Brora.
And the farce continues:-
http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/6439/Ex-CHaP_chairman_comes_under_fire.html
Has anyone thought of harnessing the natural gas production potential of Graeme Smith for this scheme?
As Brucie would say:-
Niceties to see you, to see you niceties!!
the poacher
10-Apr-09, 21:44
my mums got the woodchip heating (or should i say oil) she said its good heating when it WORKS
I also have this system and have to say there has only been a few occassions that it has been down, i had some problems with it for a while but have to say they did their best and changed various things in order to get it fixed, and fingers crossed it is running fine now!
Word is that the council are touting for a Cash-rich Partner to take over the site lock, stock and barrel .There is a short list doing the rounds ,and there are a few local engineering companies in the frame .Just surprised that none of these companies could come forward at the outset .None of them could see the project was a non-runner at the start .It does not bow well for so-called experts that jump into the Hotseat .
The council have made it clear that its a select group that would be considered to run the project and Whistleblowers or those who told the CHaP BOARD they were chasing rainbows need not bother.The project can be made to work if the proper plant is installed to produce a low moisture woodfuel .Like others i have contacted the council and was told ,"We do not know and have never heard off the verbal battle or warning you expressed with Councillor Smith or the CHaP Board "I was told my name would not be in any short list of companies to run the project.
The project would need £2.5-3.0 million to make it work ,but the community would have to be told that the fuel would be more WDF(waste derived fuel) than virgin wood.
Its about time the people of Wick got the truth from start to finish and the behind closed door meetings stopped ...I just wish i had the chance to put the project on the right footing .
I also have this system and have to say there has only been a few occassions that it has been down, i had some problems with it for a while but have to say they did their best and changed various things in order to get it fixed, and fingers crossed it is running fine now!
I don't think anyone is arguing that the system produces heat. The problem is that a shed load of money has been spent and the system is burning oil instead of the woodchip that was talked about. It was alleged to be a pioneering and "world-beating" system. There is nothing pioneering or world-beating about burning oil to create heat!!
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