Vattenfall plots district heating network powered by London waste

Commercial and household rubbish could soon be heating tens of thousands of homes in South East London, thanks to a new partnership announced today between Swedish energy giant Vattenfall and the owner of a large waste-to-energy plant next to the Thames, Cory Riverside Energy.

Vattenfall Heat UK said it has secured the right to capture heat generated at the Belvedere waste incinerator in Bexley, South East London, in order to build a centralised heat network able to pipe low-carbon heat to roughly 10,500 local homes.

The two companies are now working on an application for funding from the government's £320m Heat Networks Investment Programme, Vattenfall said. If successful, the firm then plans to develop and operate the heat network's infrastructure and manage residential and commercial customers.

"Heating our homes and businesses currently accounts for around 20 per cent of UK greenhouse gas emissions," said Noah Nkonge, head of partnerships at Vattenfall Heat UK. "The Cory Riverside project is a great example of what can be achieved by multiple organisations working towards fossil-fuel free living."

Heat networks supply heat from a low or zero-carbon source - in this instance, waste heat - through a network of underground pipes, negating the need for boilers or electric heaters in individual buildings.

Vattenfall estimates the London heat network project could cut carbon emissions by up to 90 per cent compared to conventional gas boilers. The system will also be designed so that future homes and business properties can link up to the same heat network, even after the first phase of housing has been exhausted, the company added.

Adriana Rodriguez Cobas, Vattenfall Heat UK's regional director, explained that tapping waste heat to power homes held major environmental and financial benefits. "We can use that heat to help local households keep warm without having to worry about the size of their energy bill, or whether they're damaging the planet if they turn the heating up," she said.

"This opportunity extends beyond the first phase of housing earmarked for development in Bexley," she added. "Vattenfall's expertise means we can design the system so that future homes and business properties can also be linked up to the same heat network, without needing to go through the disruption and lengthy process of designing a bespoke network for a separate construction project. This is exactly the kind of long-term vision that Vattenfall has for district heating in the UK, and shows the potential of what can be achieved when multiple partners work together towards shared goals."

The deal has been struck just one week after Business Secretary Alok Sharma approved Cory Riverside Energy's plans to build a second waste facility at its existing site, a decision that has been criticised by locals that have long petitioned against the project, and the London Mayor amid concerns over air pollution and its proximity to a local nature reserve. A spokesperson for Mayor Sadiq Khan last week said "no more waste incinerators were needed in London". 

Cory Riverside Energy, however, contends that it is a critical component in London's circular economy, by preventing waste going to landfill and generating huge improvements in resource efficiency from creating electricity from rubbish, while recycling and waste trade body the ESA dismissed the Mayor's criticism as "ill-informed". 

In related news, meanwhile, major heat network providers across the UK - including Vattenfall, EDF Energy, Engie, Enegetik, E.ON - today signed a consumer protection agreement that commits them to ensuring all customers remain supplied with energy, heating and hot water during the coronavirus crisis and protecting vulnerable customers.

Dan McGrail, chair of the Heat Networks Industry Council said that the group would be encouraging more companies to sign up. "The heat network industry recognises the challenges vulnerable and low-income customers might face during this pandemic," he said. "These consumer protection measures reflect a trajectory we have been on for some time and that's why we're putting them at the heart of our response and setting out today what protections we're putting in place to help."

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Kwasi Kwarteng commended the initiative. "The coronavirus pandemic is affecting every household in this country," he said. "It is vital that customers know there is support available if they have difficulty in paying their energy bills. Today's consumer protection agreement means that those heat network operators who sign up are committing to providing the best possible support they can to their customers. I would urge them all to sign up."

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• Vattenfall
• Cory Riverside Energy
• Combined heat and power
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• Waste To Energy