Hounslow has received £10.55 million from the UK Government’s Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) to initiate a significant low-carbon heating project.
This initiative will transform heating systems in Isleworth and Brentford by utilizing unused heat from Thames Water’s Mogden Sewage Treatment works. The Hounslow Heat Network aims to supply heat to up to 3,000 homes and various local institutions, including NHS trusts, libraries, schools, and commercial buildings, through approximately 8.8 km of underground pipes.
The project promises to make the borough cleaner and more resilient against future gas price fluctuations. It will also stimulate the local supply chain, offering cost-effective decarbonized heat and creating substantial employment and skill development opportunities. Construction is set to begin in 2028, with the project expected to deliver 50 GWh of low-carbon heat annually, reducing emissions by an average of 6,690 tonnes CO₂e each year, equivalent to removing over 3,800 petrol cars from the roads.
Heat networks, often described as ‘central heating for cities,’ provide heat from a central source to consumers via underground pipes, eliminating the need for individual boilers or electric heaters in each building. These networks can serve large areas or small clusters of buildings.
Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, leader of Hounslow Council, expressed gratitude for the funding and acknowledged the council team’s efforts in securing it. He highlighted the investment’s potential to ease grid pressure, create jobs, and enhance energy reliability for residents and businesses, thereby boosting Hounslow’s economy.
Cllr Katherine Dunne, cabinet member for climate, environment and transport, emphasized the funding as a significant achievement for the borough, enabling accelerated progress on the Climate Emergency Action Plan. She noted the dual benefits of cleaner energy: reducing carbon emissions and shielding residents from future price shocks.
Dejan Vernon, energy technical manager at Thames Water, underscored the scheme’s benefits, highlighting how capturing heat from wastewater can provide low-carbon heating for public buildings and homes, supporting the transition to net zero.
The project is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and is part of the Heat Network Transformation Programme, which supports projects using low- and zero-carbon heat sources.
We previously covered this here.
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