Reducing the Carbon Footprint at Abernethy Primary

The Highland Council’s drive to improve carbon emissions has benefited one of the primary schools within the Cairngorms National Park. Abernethy Primary School, Nethybridge, has had a new biomass boiler recently commissioned at a cost of £120,000 to provide heat and hot water to the school from wood chip which is locally produced. Pupils have been closely involved in the project.

Abernethy Primary was targeted for improvement because it is one of the Council’s top 25 highest energy consuming buildings.  After a careful option appraisal into the best technological solution to reduce carbon emissions, a containerised biomass boiler has been installed. This has coincided with building fabric insulation and draughtproofing works. The new plant is expected to reduce the high running cost of the school, provide cleaner fuel provision and reduce the carbon emissions from the school by 147 tonnes each year.

By the end of this financial year, the Council will have 11 Biomass Plants in operation across the Highlands. The Council has worked closely with the Community Energy Scotland (formally HICEC) to deliver these units.

Steve Barron, the Council’s Director of Housing and Property, explained: “These measures make a major contribution to improving environmental impact of Council buildings and can provide significant carbon emission reduction to more challenging buildings. The Council has many buildings which do not allow easy or affordable thermal upgrading, and changing to biomass will bring the improvements needed.”

The plant is the first containerised unit installed in the Council buildings and provides a bolt-on solution that will be developed to fit most sites. In Nethybridge, a close supply of natural fuel was a strong consideration in the selection of the site, and the scheme fits well with the ethos of the national park’s natural environment.