Leeds City Council has approved plans to spend £7.2 million to extend a low-carbon heating pipeline in the city.
Leeds PIPES uses energy generated from the processing of waste at the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility to provide low carbon heating for buildings.
This building uses the steam from processing the waste to generate heat and is estimated to save the council over £7 million a year compared to landfill.
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As part of the government’s district heat network scheme, the system is meant to cut costs and carbon emissions with estimates indicating 18% of UK heat will need to come from heat networks by 2050 to meet carbon targets.
The new funding is set to increase the coverage by 2,500 metres and will add links from Beckett Street to St James’ Hospital energy centre among other places.
Councillor Helen Hayden, the Executive Member for Infrastructure and Climate said the plans would help bring energy costs down.
She said: “Our city’s waste-powered district heating network is a great example of an innovative scheme that supports our long-term net zero carbon ambitions whilst enabling residents and businesses to enjoy reliable and affordable heating now.
“Economically, the planned expansion is also a fantastic investment for the council as well as those privately connecting. As the wholesale price of gas rises and as more and more building managers and developers seek to reduce their carbon footprint, our district heating offer has become even more competitive.”
The system was set up by Leeds City Council in association with Vital Energi and is operated by the energy company Veolia.
According to the Council, the scheme takes waste from over 10,000 households and provides heating to almost 2,000 buildings.
The Managing Director of Vital Energi for the North and Scotland, Mike Cook, said the network will only become more efficient as it grows in size.
He said: “As a result of visionary investment and working collaboratively with partners, Leeds PIPES has very quickly established itself as one of the UK’s major heat networks.
“As the network continues to grow it becomes more efficient and accessible to potential connections, enabling the transition from fossil fuels to deliver more carbon savings and contribute to a cleaner, greener Leeds. ”
This comes amid the cost of living crisis as heating bills are set to rise by £700 from April.
Part of this is due to the worldwide increase in the price of gas, it is hoped schemes like Leeds PIPES will eventually lead to a fall in the cost of heating a home.
In 2025, new regulations are planned to require existing buildings and new developments to connect to the network.
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