Latest £2.5m investment in Mersey Heat Energy Centre
A £2.5m water source heat pump will be installed at Peel NRE’s Mersey Heat Energy Centre – currently under construction at Liverpool’s Princes Dock – this summer.
Star Refrigeration is currently building the pump in Glasgow. It will extract heat from the nearby Leeds-Liverpool canal.
The centre will provide low carbon heat and hot water for up to 6,700 homes and 1.3m sq ft of commercial space at the Liverpool Waters development, as well as wider domestic and commercial buildings across Liverpool.
This initial phase of the project could supply 20GWh of heat every year, with planning permission in place to expand the project to supply around 45GWh – the equivalent of supplying 17,000 new homes with heating and hot water.
Using a water-sourced 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%.
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 after it becomes operational in winter 2024.
On the investment in the new pump, Jo Longdon, Commercial Director, 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.”
Andrew Wightman, Pre-Construction Director, Vital Energi, said: “This is a major development which will have a real, positive impact on Liverpool’s future.”
David Pearson, Director, Star Refrigeration, said: “Our heat pumps are manufactured in the UK and are an efficient way to cut CO 2 emissions and lower the carbon footprint of connected buildings by around 75%, which will reduce further as the grid decarbonises. It will help thousands of homes and businesses move away from fossil fuels.”
