Hull awarded £13m for city’s first district heating network

By Simon Bristow

Hull City Council is to launch the city’s first district heating network after being awarded £13m from the Government’s Green Heat Network Fund.

The network will provide low-cost, low-carbon energy to city centre buildings.

The Hull District Heat Network will use energy from waste to heat a series of pipes transporting heated water. The heated water will then be transferred to connected buildings through heat exchangers. The network will consist of a centralised energy source, as well as a back-up energy centre.

The network will provide buildings in the city centre with a low-carbon source of heat at a lower cost than other low-carbon heating solutions.

The council plans to hold public engagement events in the near future to gather the views of local people and businesses, as well as raise awareness of the project.

Councillor Julia Conner, portfolio holder for environment and climate change lead at the council, said: “I’m pleased that the Government has agreed to back this ambitious project that will deliver cleaner, cheaper energy to those living and working in Hull city centre.

“It’s a significant step towards the council achieving its carbon-neutral ambition.”

Councillor Paul Drake-Davis, portfolio holder for economic development and regeneration, said: "As well as helping the council meet its environmental and climate change commitments, we also know that every penny counts right now, so we want to make taxpayers’ money go further. That’s why as energy prices rise it’s essential that the council finds new ways to reduce energy usage in its buildings, and the Hull District Heat Network project will help do this.

“Looking to the future, it could also supply low-cost heating to local residents and businesses - which will help people in this new era of higher energy bills."

The Green Heat Network Fund is a three-year, £288m fund that supports the construction of new low carbon heat networks and the retrofitting and expansion of existing heat networks. It aims to develop and grow the heat network market and to address some of the challenges of decarbonising the UK’s heat sector.

Work is expected to start on the Hull District Heat Network project in 2024.

Those interested to learn more about the project or who wish to discuss connecting a building to the network can find out more by contacting Hull.Energy@hullcc.gov.uk.

The council declared a climate emergency in April 2019, and the following year published the Hull 2030 Carbon Neutral Stategy, an “ambitious” vision for making the city carbon-neutral by 2030.

The authority is a partner of the Oh Yes! Net Zero campaign, encouraging local businesses and residents to drive down their emissions and take positive action on climate change. Find out more about the campaign here.