Vattenfall launches ‘UK’s largest’ heat network

The project is forecast to provide heat to the equivalent of half a million homes in London

Nearly half a million homes, businesses and public buildings in the UK’s capital could connect to what is described as the country’s largest heat network.

That is the plan launched today by Vattenfall, which aims to develop a network that could cover a 30-mile radius by 2040s.

The project, which is planned to be installed in phases, is forecast to save nearly 26 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over a 20-year period.

The energy and heat supplier said the first customers will benefit from the scheme as early as 2024.

The heat will come from a waste-to-energy facility at Belvedere in South East London.

Mike Reynolds, Managing Director at Vattenfall Heat UK said: ”We have got to think big when it comes to removing emissions from heating, on a scale which 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 its resilient against energy shocks.

“Most of  London’s 3.5 million homes and thousands of commercial buildings are heated using fossil fuels. Yet there are abundant other sources of cleaner heat, such as the ground, water or waste heat from industrial processes.”

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