Cross-borough energy masterplan

Hammersmith & Fulham Council is exploring the potential for net zero compatible district heat networks within the borough.

This work is undertaken together with Kensington and Chelsea Council and supported by the Local Energy Accelerator Programme.

A district heat network is large-scale central heating system for a district or neighbourhood.

It consists of underground pipes carrying heat to a variety of different buildings in a local area.

It can be used to capture energy from zero-carbon or low-carbon heat sources providing an alternative to natural gas and helping H&F to meet its ambitious goal of net zero carbon by 2030.

This includes sources that can be found in the environment, such as air, river, and deep underground – including the tube network – as well as waste heat from other buildings, including data centres, the sewer system, and processes such as printing and brewing. Much of which can be accessed at low cost, meaning district heat networks can save money as well as reducing carbon and pollution.

Centre for Sustainable Energy has been working to collect data on heat consumption for existing and planned buildings, including businesses, shopping centres, hospitals, hotels, museums, schools, public buildings, and residential blocks.

Most of them currently rely on gas, a fossil fuel. Heating buildings currently accounts for nearly half of the carbon emissions in H&F.

Next, the data gathered will be assessed to identify:

• possible heat sources
• potential energy centre locations
• potential heat transfer pipe routes
• potential customers, including buildings which could connect to a heat network.
• if the heat network has the potential to expand and adapt over time to provide a pathway to decarbonise as much of the area as possible.

The study will also gather data on potential sources of low carbon heat and consider retrofit and expansion potential for new and existing heat networks including White City and H&F’s new Civic Campus.

The study is due to be completed by the end of 2023.

If you are a H&F organisation, building owner, landlord of residential blocks or a commercial tenant interested in connecting to the heat network, expanding or decarbonising an existing network, please email climate-emergency@lbhf.gov.uk.