Background
Omega Red Group was contracted by AardvarkEM on behalf of Eco Sustainable Solutions to provide lightning protection at its new anaerobic digestion facility.
Parley Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Plant, located near Bournemouth, houses two large digesters that are continuously fed with food waste from homes and businesses across the south of England. The digesters convert the waste into renewable biomethane and nutrient-rich biofertiliser, saving approximately 14,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
This project was Omega Red’s second successful contract with ECO Sustainable Solutions.
The challenge
Parley AD Plant contained multiple areas with potentially explosive atmospheres, presenting a unique challenge in the design and installation of a new lightning protection system.
The original concept relied upon 18-metre air termination masts to achieve full site coverage. However, the site’s proximity to Bournemouth Airport and its position within the flight path and landing zone meant the proposed mast heights were unsuitable. A complete redesign was therefore required.
The solution
Working closely with ECO Sustainable Solutions, Aardvark EM, the digester manufacturer and DEHN, Omega Red developed an alternative British Standard-compliant design using DEHN isolated masts and HVI insulated conductors. This approach provided effective protection to hazardous areas while avoiding interference with aircraft operations, site infrastructure and future maintenance activities.
The technical complexity extended beyond air termination design. Consideration had to be given to plant movement, service routes and operational access to ensure the lightning protection system would not obstruct day-to-day activities. In addition, standard earth rods could not be installed because they would have punctured a protective membrane beneath the concrete slab, which had to remain intact.
To overcome this challenge, Omega Red installed a Type B earthing arrangement comprising a 25mm x 3mm bare copper ring conductor buried around the facility at 600mm depth, with designated testing positions throughout the system. This delivered the required electrical performance while maintaining the integrity of the site’s environmental protection measures.
Installation was carefully co-ordinated alongside phased construction activities, requiring the programme to be delivered in stages as the development progressed. Strong collaboration between all project partners ensured the works were completed safely, efficiently and without impacting the wider project programme.
The results
The project was delivered on schedule, within budget and to a high standard of workmanship, providing robust protection to a critical energy infrastructure facility.
Client satisfaction was reflected in feedback from AardvarkEM who praised Omega Red’s technical expertise, flexibility during design development and ability to successfully manage the phased installation programme.
Testimonial
“I found Omega Red to be an excellent provider and installer of lightning protection. The new anaerobic digester plant proved technically challenging due to the need to provide lightning protection across the entire site, restrictions on the placement of lightning protection systems and the requirement to deliver a cost-effective solution.
“Gary and his team proved to be very knowledgeable, were able to offer several proposals and did a great job in adjusting designs to suit our needs.
“The install had to be piecemeal due to the construction phases, which they also managed very well. Overall, I was very impressed with Omega Red Group and I would recommend them.”
Paul Hartley CEng MICE, Aardvark EM Limited
