Worthing Borough Council has identified a heat network as the cheapest and most efficient way to decarbonise the town’s buildings
A seaside town council has unveiled a green heating project that aims to provide eco-friendly heating to all its buildings by 2050.
The initiative in Worthing, West Sussex, will see an investment of up to £500million from heat network investor, developer and operator Hemiko. Worthing Borough Council identified a heat network as the most cost-effective and efficient method to reduce carbon emissions from the town’s buildings, leading them to bring Hemiko on board to fund, deliver and operate the project.
Heat networks utilise a centralised heat source, which could range from a large heat pump drawing energy from water or air to waste heat from a data centre, and distribute it to nearby buildings for room and water heating. This eliminates the need for individual heat pumps, boilers or hot water tanks in properties, supplying heating and hot water via piped heat through a heat exchanger, which is about the same size as a small gas boiler and can be individually controlled.
It is anticipated that by 2050, up to one-fifth of homes could be heated through heat networks as the nation transitions away from polluting gas boilers to meet climate goals. Worthing is set to get a bit greener with the launch of a new heat network powered by air source heat pumps, located near the High Street multistorey car park.
The network will initially provide eco-friendly heating to public sector buildings and is expected to expand over time. Come July, construction begins, and by summer 2025, landmarks like Worthing Town Hall and Worthing Hospital will be basking in sustainable warmth.
This green initiative will reduce carbon emissions by over 3,000 tonnes annually. It will also help to create jobs, with 40 positions opening up soon and hopes for 500 by 2050. Initially targeting non-domestic buildings and spanking new homes, the scheme could extend to existing residences within a decade, as the cost of heat from the network becomes more wallet-friendly.
The project’s first leg secured over £7million from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, which has leveraged a £40million investment from Hemiko. Sophie Cox, Worthing’s climate emergency chief, said: “The Worthing heat network is an exciting development in our transition to low carbon heating and an important milestone in our mission to be a carbon neutral council by 2030 and a net-zero borough by 2045.”
“I’m really looking forward to the council working alongside Hemiko on the next stages of the project and bringing low carbon heating to the residents and business of Worthing.”
Toby Heysham, chief executive at Hemiko, said the network “will be an invaluable piece of infrastructure for the local community, not only because it will cut the town’s emissions significantly and improve public health, but it will also offer jobs, apprenticeships, and a hub for innovation and investment into the town.”
Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “Ambitious projects like this in Worthing are why the UK is a world leader when it comes to reducing carbon emissions.”
“We awarded over £7million to Worthing Borough Council to help get the project off the ground, and I’m pleased to see they now have a partner in Hemiko to deliver a scheme that will benefit the whole town by delivering cheaper energy bills and lower carbon emissions.”
