The events and yards running on poo power
Horse manure is being used to generate enough electricity to light up events and yards in the UK and across Europe
EQUESTRIAN events and organisations are turning to green — or brown — energy by using manure to power themselves.
A major international show, which used manure produced by competitors’ horses to power itself is one of a number of examples of generating power in this way.
Helsinki International Horse Show (18-22 October) teamed up with Finnish-based company Fortum HorsePower to ensure the muck created did not go to waste.
Manure from the horses on site powered the full indoor show.
Anssi Paalanen, of Fortum HorsePower, said the event worked “really well” for the firm.
“Manure was collected daily and delivered to nearby Järvenpää CHP [a heat and power plant],” he told H&H, adding he was “extremely proud” the company could power the full show on manure-generated electricity.
“By using it, we avoided 25 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
“This was the first — but
definitely not the last — equine event in the world to be powered with real HorsePower.”
Event director Tom Gordin told H&H the show will continue the initiative in future years as it is in both parties’ interests.
“Fortum provided a ‘fullservice’ concept, providing bedding to all 250 horses and manure removal; it saved us labour and money,” he added.
The company provides a bedding delivery and muck collection service to some 200 yards in Finland and — as of this autumn — Sweden, producing 30,000 tonnes of manure a year.
“This equals 40GWh, or the energy demand of 2,000 Finnish detached family houses,” said Mr Paalanen, adding the cold climate in Finland means energy needs for houses are higher than in countries such as the UK.
“We have studied European markets and are analysing which we should expand to.”
BROWN CREDENTIALS
AT the 2017 FEI European Championships in Gothenburg, an estimated 300 tonnes of manure was processed by waste company Renova AB and converted into heating and electricity for the region.
It was estimated this would create 0.36GWh of heating and 60,000kWh of electricity, or enough to heat and provide hot water for 32 flats for a year.
In the UK, the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery has also been using the muck from the 140-plus horses at its Woolwich base, in a biomass boiler.
“When it is up and running, we use that to generate all the hot water and heating for the site — or as much as we can with the amount of poo we have,” Captain Gregory Flynn told H&H, adding it “definitely helps” to make the site more eco-friendly.