Homes and businesses in Bolton could use waste heat from sewers, as one of several innovative green heating projects to receive grants from the government’s Green Heat Network Fund. The grants total £80.6 million.
The Bolton project, with £11 million from the government, will see energy extracted from both sewage and waste hot water from washing machines, bathrooms and kitchens to fuel a new heat pump, as part of Bolton’s first district heating network.
Other projects to receive a share of the £80.6 million from the Green Heat Network Fund include:
• Exeter Energy Network, which will receive £42.5 million to build a heat network using air source heat pumps and the UK’s largest high-temperature water source heat pump. Buildings connected to the network will see an initial reduction of 65-75% in carbon emissions compared to gas heating
• Hull East District Heat Network, awarded £22 million to build a heat network using excess heat generated by a nearby chemicals park. The project will provide low carbon heating to 14 public sector council buildings and industrial businesses
• Greenwich Peninsula ESCO District Heating Network in London will receive £4.6 million to connect more than 9,000 existing and new homes, as well as over 94,000 square metres of commercial space to low-carbon heating. This cleaner energy will be powered by an air source heat pump fixed on the roof of the Greenwich Peninsula Energy Centre
Meanwhile £8 million from the government’s Heat Network Efficiency Scheme will support upgrades to 34 heat network projects across England and Wales.