Call for nationwide district energy infrastructure

Ahead of the rollout of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNZ) heat network zones, heat transfer specialist Alfa Laval is calling for the long-term implementation to go beyond district heating, with a view to creating nationwide district energy infrastructure.

The initial rollout of DESNZ’s zoning programme began with the identification of 28 pilot locations across the UK where heat networks are likely to grow or be built out in the future. Six areas – Bristol, Leeds, Plymouth, Sheffield, Stockport and two London sites – are set to benefit from £5.8 million in shared government funding in order to help establish the zoning model, with construction set to start in 2026. A total of 21 zoning maps have now been published. It is expected that district heating will be the lowest cost energy within each zone and the wider goal is to grow total demand from 3% in 2024 to 20% by 2050.

However, the current rollout only legislates for district heating and Neil Parry, global head of district energy at Alfa Laval, says district cooling is also needed to create a national district energy infrastructure and enable year-round utilisation of waste heat and a more balanced energy system.

“The UK is experiencing increasing temperatures due to climate change,” he said. “By 2050, we will have just as much need for district cooling as we do for district heating, which is why it would be a critical misstep if the ongoing rollout was limited to the latter.

“Beyond this, the integration of both technologies together is also fundamental to the concept of district energy, which will be critical to tapping into the nation’s waste energy potential and forging a credible path to net zero.”