Thameswey helped the local authorities prepare their bids for funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) Heat Networks Delivery Unit (HNDU). The funding will be used in Woking for a feasibility study into a new heat network to serve the western half of the town centre including the proposed Victoria Square development. The study will test the potential for geothermal energy to be used as an alternative to CHP generated heat.
In Milton Keynes the funding will be used for a feasibility and detailed development stage study into expanding Thameswey’s existing heat network in Central Milton Keynes to include areas adjacent to the city centre. The study will also explore a new multi-operator partnership model for heat distribution with Milton Keynes Council.
There are approximately 2,000 heat networks in the UK at the moment, supplying heat to 210,000 dwellings and 1,700 commercial and public buildings. A further 150 schemes are known to be under development by local authorities across the UK. HNDU estimates that around 15 per cent of UK heat demand could be cost effectively met by heat networks by 2030 rising to over 40 per cent by 2050.