UK government invests £90m in heat networks

The UK government has announced a £90 million investment in heat networks to provide cleaner, cheaper heating to over 750,000 homes across the country. A major component of this funding is a £41 million allocation for the London Strategic Heat Main, a project designed to supply low-carbon heat to approximately 650,000 homes in the capital.

The London project will utilize excess heat from sources such as data centers and factories. To transport hot water, the scheme will initially use electric barges along the River Thames before eventually utilizing a specially constructed tunnel running under and alongside the river. This infrastructure is expected to serve seven boroughs initially, including Bexley, Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, the City of London, Lambeth, and Westminster.

Other funded projects include a £11.5 million development in Bexley and Greenwich, a £11.4 million water-source heat pump system in the Marble Arch area, and a £9.7 million extension to the existing network in Bradford. Additionally, £13.3 million has been allocated through the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme to improve existing infrastructure across England and Wales. The government anticipates these investments will support over 2,000 jobs and unlock approximately £5 billion in further investment for London’s heat networks.