GVS
Summary
The UK arm of Swedish energy company Vattenfall is looking to expand its plans to help Scotland heat homes in a more environmentally-friendly way. The test case is Midlothian Energy, a joint venture between Midlothian Council and Vattenfall Heat UK, which is working on a long-term business plan to invest £100m in energy projects over the next five years. They have employed Stirling-based FES Group to deliver low-carbon heating for around 3,000 homes, several shops, and a new school at Shawfair Town, a new development in the north of the Midlothian Council area.
Vattenfall’s first heat project in Scotland is seen as a catalyst for a wider regional network stretching across the Lothians. Eoghan Maguire, director for Scotland at Vattenfall Heat UK, expressed the company’s desire to grow the Midlothian region network, highlighting that heat networks are not limited by local authority borders. Vattenfall has a business plan for £120m of investment in the area.
Construction has already begun on the facility beside the energy-from-waste plant, with developers aiming to complete the outer shell by November. Around half of the pipe network for Shawfair has been laid, and more pipes will be installed as roads are developed for the new homes. Maguire explained that district heating, which involves moving waste heat through a network of hot water pipes and heat exchangers, is a proven technology. The unit in people’s homes is no bigger than existing gas boilers.
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