Work begins on water-source heat pump DH scheme
5th March 2024
UK: Construction has begun on a multi-million pound energy centre in Liverpool, which will house one of the UK’s largest water-source heat pumps.
The Star Refrigeration heat pump will take heat from the water in the nearby Leeds/Liverpool Canal and use it to provide heat and hot water to up to 6,700 homes and 1.3 million ft2 of commercial space on a 6km district heating network.
Peel NRE has appointed renewable energy company Vital Energi to design and build the Mersey Heat Network Energy Centre at Liverpool Waters at Princes Dock.
This initial phase of the project could supply 20GWh of heat every year with planning permission in place to expand the project to supply around 45GWh (the equivalent of supplying 17,000 new homes with heating and hot water).
Led by Peel NRE’s district heat network specialist Ener-Vate, the project is set to become a major part of Liverpool’s low carbon energy infrastructure. The site off Great Howard Street is expected to be completed by September.
“This ambitious project has the potential to provide enough low carbon heat for over a fifth of the homes in Liverpool, cementing the city at the heart of the region’s decarbonisation journey,” commented Peel NRE MD Myles Kitcher.
“This heat network will be initially installed in the Liverpool Waters area but it has the ability to be scaled up to provide low carbon heat and hot water to the City of Liverpool and provide many heat users with affordable, low carbon energy,” said Ener-Vate commercial director Jo Longdon.
In addition to the new energy centre, Vital Energi will be extending the district heating system throughout the area. 2km of highly insulated district heating pipework has already been installed, with the expansion adding an extra 1.2km of district heating pipework which will run throughout Trafalgar & Central Docks and bring low-carbon heating and hot water to more residents and businesses.
