Vattenfall launched its ambitious plan to decarbonize urban buildings in Edinburgh and Glasgow at an exciting event in Glasgow. Vattenfall plans to work with their partner Midlothian Council and local authorities in both cities, along with generators of heat, to then distribute clean heat to domestic and commercial customers in both cities. Vattenfall plans to build the heat network in phases, working multi-laterally through collaborations with heat suppliers and customers, connecting existing and new homes and businesses to low and zero-carbon heat sources.
Vattenfall already has a collaboration agreement in place with Viridor, and the possibility of harnessing heat from Viridor’s Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre (GRREC) is being explored. The Glasgow network aims to serve the equivalent of 450,000 homes by 2050.
Vattenfall brings 130 years of heat network experience to the UK. Vattenfall’s modeling suggests the heat networks in Glasgow and Edinburgh could reduce emissions by up to 90% in comparison to individual gas boilers fitted in every home. To build these heat networks will mean an investment of up to £2bn and the creation of up to 9009 jobs through direct employment and the wider supply chain between now and 2050.