UK Government announces £10 million investment in district heating

The announcement by the UK government of £10 million to support the coordinated government policy shift to district heating promises to make CHP-based district heating system mainstream in Britain. 
 
Paul Voss, Head of Public and Industrial Affairs at international district heating equipment supplier Danfoss cites “There is no question that the United Kingdom could be Europe’s fastest growing district heating market within the next few years,” (Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production, 2013-03-22).

The announcement in the UK Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) heat strategy paper, “The Future of Heating: Meeting the Challenge”, released on March 26, 2013, outlines a large investment program in new district heating infrastructure across communities in Britain. The strategy confirms far reaching proposals to invest in new district heating networks in towns and cities, to operate alongside, and in some cases, displace gas networks (Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production, 2013-03-27).

A total of £10 million of funding includes £9 million to help local authorities launch district heating networks across the country as well as a new Heat Networks Delivery Unit within DECC to provide expert advice and £1 million to help the cities of Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Nottingham develop heat networks. At present Eon is in talks with a number of cities and boroughs over schemes that would serve existing buildings (Utility Week, 2013).
 
Over a third of the UK’s carbon emissions come from the energy used to produce heat. The UK Government’s announcement is in line with its commitment to move to low carbon alternatives and meet aggressive clean energy and emissions reductions targets through a coordinated plan (PRWeb, 2013).

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