On-site energy generation for efficient heating of an outdoor lido
Pembrokeshire Lido Park Society are seeking to develop a 50 metre seasonally heated outdoor pool with diving area and a new companion paddling pool. Alongside this there will be an indoor hydrotherapy and disability access pool. Pembrokeshire Lido Park Society Ltd (a community benefit society) was formed to deliver this project, with support from Pembrokeshire County Council, and has already gained support for delivering such an ambitious project from organisations including The Port of Milford Haven & Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The challenge aims to find ideas to help find ways of generating energy that could be used to either; (I) heat the seasonal and disability pools, (ii) Provide energy for use within the leisure facility or (iii) Offer energy back into the grid or for peer-to-peer trading for local use. The challenge welcomes applications from specialist technologies within the energy generation domain as well as efficient heating. There is advantage to being able to provide a solution which covers all aspects of the scope, but there is interest to bring forward specialist companies within their separate domains to harbour opportunities for this specific application.
Opportunity
Challenge opens
16/04/2024
Challenge closes
27/05/2024
Benefit
Successful winning applicants in this challenge will be given the opportunity to influence and commercially partner in the redevelopment and design of a new Lido at Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire to create a sustainable and energy self-sufficient inclusive leisure facility that is operational all year round.
Background
The UK has had a strong history of Lido style swimming pools, these pools were often in seaside resorts and were extensively used by families as an area where safe swimming could take place as well as pool games. These pools were well used and had surrounding areas where people who would not be swimming could relax and play other games or sit in deck chairs and enjoy the company. The Lidos at seaside locations were often filled by the tide or pumped sea water which could be changed very regularly by either a sea gate or pumps. Often these pools were not heated but gained warmth from the sun and structure of the pool itself absorbing heat.
Modern Lidos are being constructed with a more inclusive and net zero design to minimise costs and environmental impact and also allow for sports activities for all members of society which includes adding minor heating as well as power for services, wash facilities Etc. The other advantage of a Lido is that having no building surrounding it, more area can be devoted to a pool or multiple pools.
Pembrokeshire Lido was established in 2020 as a result of a “Bring Back the Big Pool Campaign”, wherein the local community rallied together to reinstate a Lido within Milford Haven for the benefit of the community and also to explore the health and wellness benefits associated with cold-water swimming.
The Lido team have consulted with 20 Lido operators in the UK and overseas to better understand the technical and cost issues in building and running a new Lido. The Lido team are aiming to re-develop the existing site at Milford Haven to bring back an open-air Lido into the region for all the people of Pembrokeshire to enjoy. The plan is for the pool to be operational all year round and offer inclusivity to all of society.
Typically, British lidos were built in the 1930s, with many have fallen into disrepair and closed or have been removed. Instead of a chlorinated pool that is used for indoor swimming, the Pembroke Lido will be fed with pumped sea water to ensure consistent level within the swimming area. The Lido will be 50m in length, 2m deep and comprise of 8 lanes, enabling winter racing in a competition scale pool. There will also be a disability pool which will be 10 x 6 x 1.5 metres (i.e. 90 cubic metres) and will be heated to a maximum temperature of 32 degrees Celsius.
The pool site is located on The Rath in Milford Haven on a southerly facing steep bank adjacent to the estuary. This was the site of the original ‘Rath Pool’ of similar dimensions. This is now a public garden area with one of the original buildings remaining (to be retained) plus a rather tired paddling pool which presents health and safety issues in its current state. The location includes a large grass bank area on a southerly slope overlooked by ‘The Rath street’ which is one of the towns preeminent residential areas.
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