Low Carbon South West (LCSW) has announced that they have begun a feasibility study to explore the possibility of building a Thermal Energy Grid (TEG), providing heat to businesses in Avonmouth, Bristol. If the project went ahead, say the company, it could be the largest industrial-to-industrial heat network in Europe.
LCSW, which aims to promote the growth of the environmental technologies and services sector in the South West of England, has invited local companies who would be interested in taking part in the project to get in touch. Data on the companies’ current heat and energy usage will be collected, which will then be used to calculate the logistics of the project, including demand capacity planning and pipeline routing.
It is intended that water and steam produced by on-site Biomass and Energy-from Waste (EfW) facilities will be fed through a pipeline up to 10km long, in order to deliver thermal energy to participating users across the Avonmouth and Severnside area. LCSW says the heat can also be adapted to run absorption chillers, providing cooling facilities.
The scheme is being run as a Public Private partnership, with collaborators Bristol City Council and neighbouring South Gloucestershire Council helping to develop and fund the project.
Alan Bailey, LCSW’s Chair, said: “What is so important about this project for us as a community interest company is the collaboration it has allowed between the local authorities and the various private companies in the area. This has ensured the project’s strong footing and the resilience of the business model.”
He added that, while it was still too early to establish the exact cost of the project, LCSW has estimated a figure in the region of £80 -100 million. The organisation’s website indicates that this would be money well spent, as a TEG would ensure thermal energy could be purchased at a lower cost than individual companies could produce onsite. The company also suggests that, at present, district heating networks ensure a more stable long-term price than gas or electricity.
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