After securing funding Leeds district heating network is to start work extending the network by 2,500 metres.
This extension will be the third phase of the Leeds PIPES network and ensures more buildings in the new areas of the city will be able to hook up to to the district heating network.
£3.06m of grant funding has been secured by Leeds City Council from the Heat Networks Investment Project, a government funding programme, to enable the upgrade to take place. This follows a previous award of £2.4m for and extension into the city centre.
Delivered in partnership with Vital Energi, the Leeds district heating project uses heat and energy recovered from non-recyclable waste at the city’s recycling and energy recovery facility to provide hot water to buildings in the city. Buildings and developments can choose to connect at any time and the council says that private developers and public sector organisations across the city have expressed strong interest.
The latest buildings planning to connect to the scheme are Leeds Combined Court Centre and Leeds Magistrates Court. These two buildings will connect as part of a wider programme of green upgrades over the next year funded by the public sector decarbonisation scheme. They will join St James’s Hospital, Leed Beckett University together with the new Leeds Trinity Academy on the Leeds PIPES network.
Extending the network to more parts of the city will give more businesses and residents the oportunity to enjoy affordable, reliable and low carbon heat and help to move away from costly fuel based systems and towards a greener future.