ETI seeks proposals for a project to reduce district heat network costs
11 December 2013
ETI seeks proposals for a project to reduce district heat network costs
The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) is seeking proposals from organisations to deliver a new project to identify novel ways of reducing the capital costs of district heat network infrastructure.
District heat networks supply heat to homes and businesses through pipes carrying hot water. They have great potential to deliver CO2 emissions reductions and cost benefits through the use of low carbon heat, waste heat (from power stations, industry and other sources), combined heat and power and large-scale heat pump deployment.
The ETI’s project will assess innovative solutions to reduce the capital and total lifetime costs of heat network pipes, and to reduce any disruption caused during their installation.
The Request for Proposals (RfP) announced today (11 December) is focused on identifying innovative solutions. These may include advanced installation approaches; tunnelling, drilling and excavation techniques; alternative pipework and insulation materials; jointing techniques; pipe routing and novel system designs; planning; sub-surface detection technologies; plus other areas to be proposed.
It is expected that the project team selected will need to be made up of a number of organisations with experience and insight into district heat network delivery.
Nick Eraut, ETI Project Manager for its Energy, Storage and Distribution programme, said: “Heat accounts for more than 40% of the UK’s total energy demand and heating the UK’s buildings contributes roughly 20% of overall UK CO2 emissions. This project will be focused on identifying solutions to help reduce the costs of delivering low carbon heat to meet the UK’s demand in the coming decades.”
The project is part of the ETI’s Energy Storage & Distribution programme, which aims to adapt and develop networks to enable the delivery of a cost effective and secure future low carbon energy system in the UK, and to develop and demonstrate new infrastructure approaches to support the energy transition out to 2050.