Sandwell Council is set to explore a trailblazing scheme to pipe hot water direct to buildings that can cut carbon emissions and energy bills.
The council has won funding to investigate creating heat networks in Smethwick and West Bromwich.
A heat network is a system of pipes that delivers hot water direct to several buildings, reducing the need for individual gas boilers. Where possible, the heat is created using renewable or surplus energy.
The hot water travels through an underground pipe network and provides heating and hot water that can be used in homes, businesses and other buildings.
The council has secured funding to carry out studies which have identified two sites in Sandwell as potentially suitable for heat networks.
The first is in an area near to West Bromwich town centre on the Kenrick Park estate and could extend as far as Sandwell General Hospital at All Saints Way if the scheme is viable.
The second is on the border of Sandwell and Birmingham around the Grove Lane area near the new Midland Metropolitan Hospital.
The council has recently been awarded up to £291,000 from the Heat Networks Delivery Unit towards the latest phase of work which involves detailed project development.
This would include an options appraisal to consider the degree of council involvement, ownership and investment necessary to deliver the heat networks, as well as identifying further government available funding through the national Heat Network’s Investment Project (HNIP).
Various heat network models are available ranging from the council simply facilitating planning and construction, to the council owning, managing and maintaining the network itself.
Leader of Sandwell Council Councillor Yvonne Davies said: “It’s great news that we have been awarded this grant to take this exciting project to its next stage.
“Heat networks offer a number of major benefits – such as contributing towards reducing carbon emissions which supports the council’s climate change agenda.
“Heat networks make bills cheaper, tackling fuel poverty and reducing energy costs for local businesses.
“It’s exciting to think that we could be developing something like this in Sandwell and I’ll look forward to seeing how we may be able to take this forward.”
If approval is given to accept the funding at next week’s Cabinet meeting (26 February), the study is expected to be completed in a year’s time.
