Eight low-carbon heat networks across the UK, including London, Bristol, and the West Midlands, will receive over £100 million in government funding through the Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF). The investment aims to kick-start commercialization and construction of heat networks, fostering a self-sustaining market. The projects will use various low-carbon heat sources, including waste heat from sewers, rivers, and data centers.
Bristol: Vattenfall receives over £21 million for the Bristol City Centre heat network, using air source heat pumps.
Derby: 1Energy secures £23.2 million for a heat network using 12MW water source heat pumps, connecting up to 47 buildings.
Lincoln: Hemiko gets £15.5 million for the Lincoln Heat Network, initially supplying heat from a new data center.
London: SWAN Partnership obtains £21 million for the South Westminster Area Network, harnessing waste heat.
West Bromwich: Sandwell Council is awarded almost £5 million for a heat network supplied by an energy-from-waste facility.
Trafford: Trafford Council receives £5.7 million for a heat network using waste heat from a sewerage network.
Warrington: Severn Wye gets £1.7 million for a heat network delivering excess heat from a biochar pyrolysis plant.
East London: Bring Energy receives £8.8 million for an extension to a heat network using heat pumps and waste heat from the River Lea.
The projects are expected to create hundreds of jobs and significantly reduce reliance on fossil fuels, contributing to decarbonization targets. The SWAN project in London anticipates saving 75,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, equivalent to removing 40,000 cars from the road.