New district energy network set for Manchester’s Strategic Corridor

A new and innovative energy project providing low-carbon heat and electricity to the City of Manchester is being pioneered as part of a major new development in the strategically important Southern Corridor of the city.

Manchester Energy Partnership Limited (MEPL) is a joint venture between Electricity North West Construction and Maintenance – part of the Electricity North West Group which owns and operates the region’s electricity distribution network – and Octagon Estates, owners of the three-acre Octagon House site on Hathersage Road, Victoria Park, which was formerly the headquarters of electricity provider Norweb plc.

The Octagon site will accommodate the generation hub of the Octagon Project Energy Network (OPEN), a scheme designed to enable thousands of Manchester residents, businesses and public sector organisations access to low carbon energy, in this diverse area of the city.

Centred around combined heat and power generation (CHP), fuelled by clean natural gas, the energy centre will generate electricity which will be sold to MEPL’s customers utilising existing Electricity North West’s assets.

The proximity of the OPEN energy centre to Electricity North West’s main Longsight 132,000 kV substation enables its output to be fed via the existing Electricity North West distribution infrastructure to larger organisations in the vicinity, seeking to lower their carbon footprints and reduce energy costs.

The hot water produced from cooling the generator plant will be distributed, via a system of insulated underground pipes, to approximately four square kilometres of the city, as part of a district heat network, providing local consumers access to less price-volatile, locally produced and sustainable sources of heat.

Richard Everton, chairman of MEPL, said: “Projects such as the OPEN will revolutionise the way in which consumers access energy sources, generating and distributing it locally to achieve maximum efficiency with minimum contribution to carbon emissions.

“The involvement of Electricity North West also illustrates its commitment to promote community energy schemes, which more effectively balance electricity demand with supply at a local level.”

Peter Emery, chief executive for Electricity North West, said: “This is undoubtedly a major transition for the way that energy is produced and supplied in the UK and, as the region’s network provider, we are extremely proud to be a partner in a project which is at the forefront of change.

“Reducing carbon emissions, energy costs and making a positive contribution to fight fuel poverty, within a localised, mixed energy framework, brings significant benefits to the whole community.

“These benefits are only made possible by projects like the Octagon Project Energy Network, which we’re helping to make a reality.

“It also seems wholly fitting for Electricity North West to support the regeneration of our predecessor Norweb’s headquarters, maintaining the site’s tradition whilst transforming its use to these innovative and pioneering methods of energy generation and distribution in the future.”

The OPEN is part of the Octagon Project, a £40m regeneration scheme including Octagon House, which was more recently occupied by United Utilities and once employed more than 600 people but has remained vacant for the past five years.

The redevelopment of the iconic 100,000 sq ft, building, which already has its first tenant, will not only assist with the economic rejuvenation of this strategically important area of the city, but also contribute to Manchester City Council’s carbon reduction targets and support the aim of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to encourage investment in district heating networks throughout the region.

Backed by Manchester City Council since its early planning stage, the scheme is capable of supplying major consumers, such as the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, the NHS Blood and Transplant Unit, several large student accommodation blocks, and most importantly, 1,500 homes in the Plymouth Grove Village estate, where incidences of fuel poverty still remain.

Executive Manchester City councillor for the environment, Cllr Angeliki Stogia, said: “Manchester is always looking to be innovative and supportive of projects that bring new technology to the city, especially when they offer significant commercial, carbon reduction and social benefits to its communities.

“The Octagon Project is both imaginative and innovative and I am pleased that those behind it have been able to bring it to this stage.”

Richard Everton, added: “For energy networks to be effective they need to encompass a diverse range of consumers with varying energy needs and consumption profiles.

“The Octagon site lies close to both dense residential communities and bulk commercial consumers and, therefore, presents a unique opportunity to achieve the necessary scale and mass to deliver a successful city centre energy scheme.

“The OPEN is one element of the multi-faceted Octagon Project, which we hope will be of significant benefit to Manchester.”

The project has been further boosted by significant financial support from the Government’s Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, Heat Network Development Unit, which is financing the commercial and technical feasibility study for the scheme, which is also set to attract financial investment from the Greater Manchester Low Carbon Fund.

The consultancy contract, which is already under way, has been awarded to AECOM who, in combination with MEPL, are currently undertaking a comprehensive stakeholder engagement process.

All interested parties are encouraged to go online (www.octagonproject.co.uk) to find out more about the OPEN or make a contribution to the project.

A CGI of the Octagon House Project

Steve Willock, who takes up position as managing director at MEPL and remains director of communications and relationships at the Octagon Project, said: “This is a unique development, with a huge social conscience.

“Not only will it breathe life back into a large, iconic, but empty, building and create employment, but it provides local communities, both domestic and commercial, with access to a low-cost, resilient and sustainable source of energy.

“The business space, which will also benefit from cheaper energy, is set to encourage further inward investment and dynamically contribute to the ongoing success of Manchester’s life sciences, medical technology, research and innovation sectors.”

He added: “We identified, early in our planning, that this development, enhanced by its superb data and communication facilities, could attract interest from the various organisations who provide ancillary and support services to the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, liberating space on the main campus, to assist in its mission to deliver excellence in healthcare to the people of Manchester.”

This foresight has already been proven to be correct, with a lease of the entire ground floor of Octagon House to the new Central Manchester NHS Renal Dialysis Unit.

This offers a purpose-designed, spacious and modern environment for dialysis patients, capable of treating up to 40 patients each day, with easy access, dedicated car parking and ambulance drop-off.