Peel NRE signs deal to acquire £2.5m water source heat pump that will use water from the Leeds-Liverpool canal to heat homes and businesses in Liverpool Waters. Tony McDonough reports
Peel NRE says its Mersey Heat Energy Centre will be providing low carbon heating and hot water to homes and businesses in Liverpool Waters by winter 2024.
On Tuesday Peel NRE, a subsidiary of Liverpool Waters owner Peel Group, struck a deal with Star Refrigeration for a £2.5m water source heat pump. This will draw water from the Leeds-Liverpool Canal and provide heat and hot water via the 6km heat network.
Led by Peel NRE’s district heat network specialist Ener-Vate and being built by Vital Energi, the project is set to become a major part of the city’s low carbon energy infrastructure.
Set to be operational by winter 2024, the Mersey Heat Energy Centre will decarbonise heating with the potential to provide enough low carbon heat for over a fifth of the homes in Liverpool.
Local homes and businesses will be able to connect into the existing district heating pipework which has already been installed and the facility will be able to provide heat and hot water for up to 6,700 homes and 1.3m square feet of commercial space.
Heat networks, common in countries such as Denmark, have been identified by the UK Government as a crucial part of how the UK will reach net zero and one of the most cost-effective ways of decarbonising heating in built up areas.
Using a water source heat pump to heat buildings is three times more efficient than using electricity for heating and has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%.
Jo Longdon, commercial director at Ener-Vate, said: “This is another major milestone towards delivering a game changing new approach to the way homes and businesses are heated in Liverpool.
“There isn’t the option to do nothing, we have to move away from fossil fuels and towards low carbon sources of heat. The Energy Centre will enable buildings to easily connect via an existing pipeline network.”
Peel NRE has already secured more than £6m from the Government to extend the heat network to Liverpool’s Three Graces – the Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building. There are also plans for a heat network at Wirral Waters.
The 8m x 12m pump, which is currently being manufactured in Glasgow, will be delivered to the Mersey Heat Network Energy Centre in the summer.
David Pearson, director of Star Refrigeration, added: “Our heat pumps are manufactured in the UK and are an efficient way to cut CO2 emissions and lower the carbon footprint of connected buildings by around 75%, which will reduce further as the grid decarbonises.”