Businesses are being invited to provide innovate ways of reducing the costs of providing low carbon heat as part of a new project.

The Request for Proposals (RfP) announced by the Energy Technology Institute (ETI) aims to find new solutions such as advanced installation approaches for tunnelling and drilling and alternative pipework and insulation materials for district heating networks.

It hopes to cut the lifetime costs of heat network pipes and also reduce any disruption caused during their installation.

District heating networks supply heat to properties through pipes carrying hot water, which has the potential to cut carbon emissions.

Nick Eraut, ETI Project Manager for its Energy, Storage and Distribution programme said: “Heat accounts for more than 40% of the UK’s total energy demand and heating the UK’s buildings contributes roughly 20% of overall UK CO2 emissions. This project will be focused on identifying solutions to help reduce the costs of delivering low carbon heat to meet the UK’s demand in the coming decades.”

London’s first energy from waste district heating network was officially launched last month.