UK’s first Green CHP offering: a vital ‘transition’ technology for data centre companies ?

Green CHP works exactly like a conventional CHP system; however, EuroSite Power ensures that the gas used to fuel the boiler is certified green. The company, which is well-known for its On-Site Utility fully-funded energy as a service approach say its Green CHP offer has been designed for organisations needing an immediate transitional solution as part of their zero carbon goals.

EuroSite Power’s Green CHP solution uses similar reciprocating gas engine technology to a conventional CHP but takes advantage of certified biomethane injection to provide a 100% zero carbon solution. All the gas burned by EuroSite Power’s Green CHP system is certified as renewable, using a widely accepted standard called Renewable Gas Guarantees of Origin (RGGOs)*. The company can also use the same approach to include gas used elsewhere in a customer’s building. This means users are able to legitimately state that they are using 100% green gas and have decarbonised their operational emissions from the use of heating in their buildings or process. 

First of its kind 

EuroSite Power sees the launch of its Green CHP offer as both necessary and timely. 

“Nearly half of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the energy use of buildings, so it is highly likely that heating/cooling and powering sites is a significant source of emissions for most organisations,” says EuroSite Power’s Managing Director Paul Hamblyn. “Decarbonising these processes will be a huge step forwards in a customer’s Net Zero journey, and Green CHP makes this possible. 

“We are extremely excited to be able to bring a Green CHP offering to the market before anyone else in the energy arena. We’ve been scanning the landscape for some time and are aware that many companies are considering heat pumps or are thinking ahead to  hydrogen-based solutions for decarbonisation. Heat pumps certainly have their limitations and hydrogen may be green in theory, but at present over 95% of it is so-called “grey hydrogen”. This means it is produced using fossil fuels through a process which creates between 7 to 12 tonnes of emissions for every tonne of hydrogen. Added to this, there is only one blue hydrogen** site in the world.

“What all this means is a transitional technology is needed. Our Green CHP systems works with this reality to cut your emissions today. In addition, a Green CHP can also be considered ‘hydrogen ready’ to the extent that it too can operate on a blend of hydrogen and natural gas,” concludes Paul Hamblyn.

Low risk, fully-funded model

To accelerate uptake of Green CHP, EuroSite Power will deploy its On-Site Utility (OSU) model to fully-fund its on-site energy generation solutions. The company takes care of the upfront costs of installing the Green CHP solution, so that end customers do not have to make any significant financial outlay. The OSU model means that EuroSite Power installs, maintains and operates the whole system over the course of its lifetime. 

Under its OSU model, EuroSite Power agrees to pay for the RGGO certificates which will make the gas green. This means that if the price of these certificates rises dramatically during the life of the contract, it will shoulder the cost. Since EuroSite Power is also paying the upfront costs of purchasing and installing the Green CHP system, there is minimal financial risk to the customer’s business.