Heat Network Investment Project HNIP launched – next steps

Since the launch of the Heat Networks Investment Project, HNIP, last month, local authorities have been able to apply for funding of a pilot scheme consisting of £39 million. This pilot is meant to provide and indication of how the main scheme, with £320 million in funding, will run from 2017-2021. Who and what should you keep track of in the coming time?

Actions
  • As HNIP has now launched, have a look at the leading local authorities in district energy to get an idea of who is likely to apply for funding within this project.  A concrete example of a heat network project to be launched soon is Stoke. The time schedule for this project is as follows:
    • Q2 2017
      • Final technical design
      • Final preperation of civil works
      • Financial closure
    • Q4 2017 – Finalise procurement
    • Q1 2018 – Launch construction
    • Q2-3 2018 – First end customer connected
    • Q4 2019 – Phase 1 completed
Stakeholders in the heat network market

Some of the most recognised stakeholders working together to develop and accelerate the expansion of district energy in the UK are:

  • Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy – this department has announced a list of projects funded by the Heat Networks Delivery Unit (HNDU) through HNIP. We highly recommend you to keep a close watch on this list as new projects are added continuously.
  • Department for International Trade – invites and facilitates new players into the heat network market
  • District Energy Procurement Agency – provides information on UK procurement processes within heat networks
  • Association for Decentralised Energy – this association strives to promote use of district energy solutions in the UK
  • UK District Energy Association – brings together the UK’s developers, operators and partners of the largest district energy schemes

 

In general, the heat networks pipeline is still in the early stages and it will develop after HNDU projects have been delivered. We recommend you to keep a watchful eye out for new projects as the acceleration of the deployment of heat networks gains speed.

 

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