Energy policy chief hails UK district heating boom

The UK’s chief energy policy adviser at the Danish Embassy believes British district heating is booming.

Ian Manders pointed to the rise in value of district heating contract tenders issued in 2016 for the public sector. That value quadrupled, rising to £350m from just £76m the year before.

The Danish Embassy, which monitors contracts as part of its information service to Danish companies providing services to the UK, estimates that over half a billion pounds of public sector contracts have been awarded in the UK.

“You could say that district heating is booming in Britain,” Manders said. “Yet to appear in the figures are £2 billion plus of new heat network schemes that the UK and Scottish Governments are supporting. You could say that district heating is booming in Britain.”

Networks online reports that another boost is on the way for heat networks as the UK’s Building Engineering Services Association announced it will be tackling the “Achilles heel” of district heating networks by publishing a new standard for overall efficiency of schemes.