Plans for a £14.5 million low carbon heat network in Bradford city centre move a step closer
The district heat network will supply low carbon heat and electricity to a range of buildings in the city centre and has been supported the LEP’s Energy Accelerator
6 February 2020
A district heat network scheme which is being supported by the LEP’s Energy Accelerator is a step closer to being built in Bradford city centre.
The Energy Accelerator is the first programme of its kind in the UK and is designed to help low carbon and energy efficient projects become a reality where they may otherwise not have been completed due to a lack of capacity, expertise and funding.
The £14.5 million Bradford city centre scheme was supported by members of Bradford Council’s Executive on Tuesday, February 4, and will now progress to the next development stage.
The scheme has received £186,386 in support from the Energy Accelerator which funded through the LEP’s Growth Deal and ELENA – a joint initiative by the European Investment Bank and the European Commission.
The Bradford city centre scheme will see a low carbon energy centre built in or near to the city centre providing heat and electricity from biomas and gas to public buildings including St George’s Hall and Bradford Combined Courts Centre.
It will potentially save 12,640 tonnes of carbon from being released into the atmosphere helping to improve air quality as well as supporting Leeds City Region and Bradford Council’s ambitions to reach net zero carbon by 2038.
Roger Marsh OBE DL, Chair of the LEP, said: “Tackling the climate emergency is one of the biggest challenges we face and the Energy Accelerator is a great example of how we can target investment in those projects which will have positive and lasting benefits for our communities, our economy and our environment.”
Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Executive Member for Healthy People and Places at Bradford Council, said: “Bradford Council is committed to reducing carbon emissions and seeking to use sources of renewable energy in its buildings where possible. This all fits into the work we are doing across the organisation to tackle climate change.”
To date, the Energy Accelerator is providing technical support to more than 15 projects in the Leeds City Region and aims to lever in over £120m of capital investment and save over 25,000 tonnes of carbon annually. It will also help to create new jobs, allow access to low cost energy as well as attracting future inward investment.
The Energy Accelerator is delivered in partnership with The Carbon Trust, Sweco, Turner & Townsend and is co-funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union.