Data centres waste heat to warm thousands of homes

Aaron Morby 3 years ago
Share

The Government is injecting £65m into funding five big district heating schemes, including constructing the UK’s first heat network using waste heat from data centres to heat over 10,000 London homes.

Transition to heat networks in cities gains pace
Transition to heat networks in cities gains pace

Grants from the Green Heat Network Fund will allow the big district heating projects in London, Watford, Suffolk and Lancaster to proceed.

London’s Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation scheme in west London will get just over half the funding for its ambitious scheme to recycle waste heat from large computer systems storing internet data.

Project details


  • Old Oak Park Royal Development Corporation will receive £36m to construct a heat network using waste heat from data centres to provide heating to over 10,000 homes and 250,000m2 of commercial space
  • Lancaster University will receive more than £21m to fully decarbonise its campus with a low carbon energy centre. The centre will use air source heat pumps, thermal storage and electrical infrastructure works
  • a new heat pump housing estate in Chilton Woods, Suffolk will see nearly 1,000 homes and a primary school provided with low carbon heating. The project, which has received £745,000, will also include a thermal store, meaning any excess energy generated from the system will be fed into the wider National Grid
  • the London Borough of Brent will receive nearly £5.2m for the South Kilburn District Heat Network, supplying heat using air source heat pumps combined with back up gas boilers to 34 sites via a 2.79km pipe network, connecting 2,900 customers.
  • Watford Community Housing will receive £1.8m of funding to replace an old gas district heating system with ground source and air source heat pumps. This will provide heat to 252 apartments across 6 blocks

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “Keeping homes warm with waste heat from technology is a glimpse into the future – and demonstrates just how innovative this country can be when it comes to reducing our carbon emissions. ”

The transition to heat networks forms a major part of the UK’s carbon reduction commitment, with heating in buildings making up 30% of all UK emissions.

David Lunts, chief executive of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, said: “Recycling the huge amounts of wasted heat from our local data centres into heat and energy for local residents, a major hospital and other users is an exciting and innovative example of OPDC’s support for the mayor’s net zero ambitions.”

“We are excited to be leading the way in developing low carbon infrastructure, supporting current and future generations of Londoners in Old Oak and Park Royal to live more sustainably.”

Latest news

Tilbury Douglas reshuffles regional building team

Order book hits £1.6bn as Simon Butler steps up to lead growth plan
2 hours ago

Council building workers to strike over pay

More than a 1,000 craftworkers to kick-off action over 3.7% pay offer
1 hour ago

Rhatigan’s UK arm powers towards £200m turnover mark

Irish contractors UK business grows seven fold in five years
3 hours ago

Getjar revenue up a third as Gateway 2 bottlenecks start to ease

Concrete frame specialist expands cut-and-carve and precast operations
9 hours ago

Curo Living changes name after construction arm collapse

Residential contractor rebrands as Sorel Living
10 hours ago

Brick firms buys fencing company

BRCK Group acquires £40m turnover Jacksons
9 hours ago

National Grid delay threatens McAlpine’s £1.25bn steel furnace finish

Substation works to set back commissioning of Port Talbot electric arc furnace by up to a year
9 hours ago

£50m rescue loan to keep Manchester’s tallest tower on track

Viability gap bridged as GMCA backs 76-storey Nobu tower project
9 hours ago

Kier opens £70m subcontractor hunt on Army barracks rebuild

Groundworks, steelwork and envelope packages head to market for Aldershot job
9 hours ago

Knights Brown rides coastal work boom to record profit haul

£136m turnover firm plots further growth as coastal, energy and water work powers up business
3 days ago

Raft of redundancies at consultant Cundall

Cundall streamlines operations with job losses among 1,300 staff
3 days ago

Erith bags Ratcliffe power station demolition mega-job

Four-year demolition plan for Britain's last coal power station
3 days ago

McAlpine hires former Wates director as healthcare MD

Simon Kydd replaces Stuart McArthur who steps down after 10 years
3 days ago

Scottish Hydro sparks £7.4bn contractor framework race

Contractors invited to bid for six lots covering civils, buildings and power infrastructure across Scotland
4 days ago

Watkin Jones green light for Cardiff 33-storey co-living tower

Custom House Street scheme will provide 400 co-living studios
4 days ago

A9 dualling race starts for £1.9bn mega framework

New delivery model for final 58 miles of Perth–Inverness upgrade
4 days ago

House building downturn drags construction to six-year low

PMI survey reveals steepest contraction since 2020
4 days ago

Green light for £59m Swadlincote civic and leisure hub

Enabling works due to start this summer
4 days ago

Hollywood giant gears up for £5bn UK resort build

Government commits £1.3bn to infrastructure package as construction start nears
4 days ago

Hinkley workers locked-out of site after canteen sit-in

Hundreds of M&E staff sent home without pay after safety protest
4 days ago

BSR turns the tide as approvals outpace new home applications

Regulator determines schemes covering nearly 15,000 homes in latest 12-week period
4 days ago

Hunt starts for £60m Crystal Palace Park housing contractor

Clarion moves quickly to market after securing consent for 202 affordable homes
4 days ago

Labourer drowns in water-filled site excavation

Worker living next to "death trap" site dies making his way home after a night out
4 days ago

Government and Hill seal land for 10,000-home Cambridge site

Landmark airport site deal unlocks 700-acre growth district
5 days ago

McLaren wins £1bn data centre campus near M25

Contractor and MEP specialist Phoenix ME begin pre-development phase on hyperscale job
5 days ago

Willmott Dixon keeping close eye on supply chain

Contractor posts strong results and positive start to new financial year
5 days ago

Murphy builds record £412m cash pile in 75th year

Family-owned contractor hits historic high at £1.6bn revenue and £8bn order book
5 days ago

Construction test scam kingpin jailed over 500 fake safety passes

CITB and police smash industrial-scale cheating racket
6 days ago

HS2 finally slides in giant Curzon bridge after welding delay

4,200t structure launched above Birmingham railway after welders conquer one of project's toughest engineering challenges
5 days ago

Tide unlocks £500m of projects after Gateway 2 approvals

Residential tower specialist emerges from Gateway 2 slowdown last year
6 days ago