Sheffield Energy Recovery Facility

This panorama was taken at the Sheffield Energy Recovery Facility, the heart of the city's District Energy system.

Here, the domestic waste of the city's 500,000 residents is incinerated to generate electricity and heat water, which is distributed through a 40km network of pipes under the city, where it is used to provide heating and hot water for dozens of buildings throughout the city, including universities, cinemas, hospitals, shops, offices and residential properties. This concept was originally used by the Romans 2000 years ago, but there are a handful of cities using the same principle today. It is a particularly environmentally friendly way of generating energy - this facility alone prevents the emission of thousands of tons of greenhouse- gases every year.

This particular facility is at the end of its working life, and is due to be replaced with a brand new state-of-the-art one, currently being constructed next door. At almost forty years old, the current facility is fantastically atmospheric, with original fittings in places covered in dust, rust and grime.

I shot a number of panoramas at the plant. This one was particularly relevant to the Energy theme - several floors up, it is the point in the plant where the heat energy is transfered to turn water into steam. Energy is literally all around you, flowing through the pipes - in some parts spilling out as water or steam. The air was like a filthy sauna, and the noise was almost deafening.

More information can be found at http://www.greenenergy.co.uk.

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Europe / UK-England

Lat: 53° 23' 12.35" N
Long: 2° 27' 55.95" W

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: Unknown / Undeclared.

Canon 300D, Manfrotto tripod and head.