A £72.7 million heat network is going to start heating several landmarks in London’s city centre, including the National Theatre and King’s College London, developers have revealed.
Plans have been unveiled for a water source heat pump to take warmth from the River Thames and transport it through a network of underground pipes, providing low carbon heating for several iconic landmarks. Officially called the Waterloo and Southbank Heat Network, the plan is part of a wider goal to decarbonise heating in central London without every building having to have its own heat pump.
It’s not been confirmed exactly which buildings will connect to the heat network, but organisations exploring the opportunity include the National Theatre, King’s College London, BFI Southbank and Southbank Centre, the developers said.
Photograph: Shutterstock
It’s thought that once the core infrastructure is built, the network will serve an initial cluster of buildings in central London. There are then hopes to expand the network to more buildings and homes on a neighbourhood by neighbourhood basis, with local engagement surveys conducted along the way.
Developers Hemiko said the new network would be British-built and locally operated. It said that the first cluster of buildings to join the network could save 22,000 tonnes of carbon annually, which is equivalent to taking 10,000 cars off the road.
Toby Heysham, Hemiko’s chief executive, said: ‘There are few things that say “London” quite like the River Thames does, so knowing that water from the Thames could soon heat some of the capital’s iconic buildings is such a wonderful, quintessentially London story.
‘By developing the Waterloo and South Bank Heat Network now, we are unlocking a cheaper future for businesses and residents in the area.
‘Our strategy is to develop heat networks in the most heat-dense area, where the customers want and need to link together and get access to the locally available waste heat.’
ICYMI: An essential new map shows which London pubs are most at risk of closure.
Speaking of landmarks, did you see that London’s new biggest theatre venue, has been officially approved?
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.