The UK government has announced the selection of Plymouth and London as two of the six towns and cities to develop England’s first heat network zones. This initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions and lower energy costs for businesses and building owners, while creating tens of thousands of green jobs across the country.
Heat network zones utilise innovative technology to capture and recycle excess heat from sources like data centres and factories, distributing it to multiple buildings. The selected areas will receive a share of £5.8 million in government funding to facilitate the development of these zones.
By leveraging data-driven insights, these heat network zones will optimise the deployment of the technology and encourage the participation of suitable buildings, including hotels, offices and large non-domestic structures.
Caroline Bragg, chief executive of the Association for Decentralised Energy, said: “We are delighted to see the Government maintaining its support for the heat network sector. Heat network zones are crucial for putting the UK on the lowest cost pathway to decarbonising our heat, attracting more than £3 of private investment for every £1 of public funding given and creating tens of thousands of local jobs.”
Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay
