Swedish energy company Vattenfall has announced that it is planning a district heating network that will supply homes in London with low- and zero-carbon heat from solid waste plants.
Edie reports that Vattenfall, which already operates district heating schemes in Berlin and Amsterdam amongst other European cities, said that its network could eventually help to provide heat to half a million homes in the east of London.
The Swedish, state-owned company has partnered with London-based waste management company Cory Energy, which has plans to develop a district heating network system in Belvedere in the south-east of the capital.
This project was awarded £12 million from the UK’s Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) and is set to start on site in early 2022 with the aim of supplying the first homes by 2024.
Vattenfall hopes to be servicing 75,000 homes by the 2030s, and into half a million homes and businesses by the 2040s.
The company has highlighted that heating is responsible for a third of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions and that 25 million homes use fossil fuels to keep warm.
Vattenfall says its heat network could reduce emissions by up to 90 per cent compared with individual gas boilers. It estimates that over a 20-year period, the network could save 26 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Mike Reynolds, managing director at Vattenfall Heat UK said: “We’ve got to think big when it comes to removing emissions from heating, on a scale that works for global cities like London. District heating presents the best option for consumers in urban areas. It’s the cheapest source of low-carbon heat, it’s reliable and it’s resilient against energy shocks.”
If you’re looking for a district heating UK contractor, talk to us today.