As a business proud to be based in Barnsley, it is encouraging to see a welcome slice of sustainable funding heading this way as part of the government’s Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF). Particularly pleasing is the fact that the Barnsley Heat Network scheme plans to bring new life to some of the area’s disused mines, allowing them to supply energy once more as part of a low-carbon heat development.
A total of £57 million has been allocated to five UK projects in the latest round of investment, which aims to provide low carbon heat to 17,000 new homes, commercial spaces and public buildings.
According to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero.
Barnsley is in line for £12.6 million of commercialisation and construction funding for a multi-source heat pump network to decarbonise heating across a range of existing businesses and public sector buildings. The project also plans to explore the capture of waste heat from a nearby industrial manufacturing plant as the network expands and densifies.
Heat network developer and operator Hemiko is being awarded the £12.6 million of funding to develop the Barnsley Heat Network. It will invest a further £32.3m alongside the funding to develop an initial network connecting around 20 buildings in the town centre and says it will add further investment to expand the network and offer low carbon heat to all homes and businesses in Barnsley town centre by 2050.
The GHNF will support the commercialisation and construction of a 2.3MW mine water plant and 6MW of air source heat pump capacity, with plans to explore taking heat from nearby industrial manufacturing plant as the network expands. Hemiko will bring multiple heat sources onto this network over time, which it says will offer greater affordability, resilience and growth.
Hemiko CEO Toby Heysham said: “The Barnsley Heat Network doesn’t just bring low carbon heat to buildings, it brings new life to the mines, allowing them to supply energy once again, this time as low carbon heat. Heat networks can create significant local value. We are absolutely committed to making sure that the value created by the heat network stays in Barnsley, as much as possible.”
Summary
The scheme will provide a total of 38GWh of heat per year to a mixture of public and private sector connections, including council buildings, in the first two phases of the project. Construction is due to start in early 2025 and Hemiko says there significant opportunities for local employment and supply chain growth, with around 40 local jobs expected to be created in the first 5 years.
