Plans to bring an affordable new source of low carbon heating to the town centre are gathering steam as Solihull Council partners with Vital Energi to deliver its exciting Low Carbon Energy Network.
Emissions from heat are the single biggest contributor to UK carbon emissions, accounting for around a third of the nation’s carbon footprint, however addressing this issue building by building can be difficult and often very expensive.
The new energy network will generate low carbon heat and power (electricity) from a single energy centre and distribute it directly into town centre buildings via a system of underground pipes and cables. The Energy Centre will be built on land next to Tudor Grange Leisure Centre and will house a range of renewable and low carbon energy solutions including Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP).
This scheme forms part of a wider strategic approach Solihull Council is developing to decarbonise the borough over the next 20 years.
Following a competitive tendering process, Vital Energi Ltd have been selected as the contractor who will take this exciting project forward - building, operating and maintaining the new network. Vital Energi is a leading national player in the heat network and low carbon energy sector and has successfully delivered a range of exemplar, high-profile networks including Leeds PIPES and Mersey Heat.
Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Planning said:
“I’m really excited to have Vital on board. They bring a wealth of experience operating complex commercial schemes like this and have a proven track record of delivery.
“A huge amount of hard work has already gone in to developing this project and with Vital’s help we can finally get it over the line and bring the benefit of affordable, reliable low carbon energy to Solihull town centre customers, while contributing to an overall reduction in the borough’s carbon emissions.
“The town centre energy network will be the first of its kind in Solihull and will hopefully pave the way for similar projects around the borough.”
Gemma Dyson, Pre-Construction Director, Vital Energi, said:
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Solihull Council to deliver this Low Carbon Energy Network. We’ve worked closely with the Council throughout the initial project stages, and now we’re really looking forward to continuing with our collaborative approach to deliver an energy network that makes significant strides in reducing the borough’s carbon emissions.”
Since its inception, the project has been supported by expert technical advisers from Sustainable Energy Ltd. They will continue to play a crucial role as the primary client engineer throughout the construction phase.
Chrissy Woodman, Director of Sustainable Energy Ltd, said:
“We are thrilled to bring our district energy technical expertise to the next phase of this exciting project and to continue collaborating with the exceptional team at Solihull Council. This project represents a significant step forward in the Council's decarbonisation plans for the Borough, and we are proud to be part of it.”
The first phase of the network will provide heat and power to public and private sector customers, including Council-owned buildings and education campuses. It is intended that future phases will then connect other buildings in the town centre and link to planned commercial or residential developments in line with the Council’s Town Centre Masterplan.
The funding required to get this carbon saving scheme off the ground was provided by the government’s Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) and West Midlands Combined Authority alongside the Council’s own investment in the project. Underpinned by detailed financial modelling, the scheme is projected to repay this investment over time.
Early works have already taken place with a series of site investigations and ecological surveys in March. With contracts now signed and planning permission for the all-important energy centre in place work is expected to get started later this summer and first phase customers could be hooked up and start benefitting from the network as early as next year.
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