Waterfront business are first to connect to city’s pioneering district heat network
Liverpool waterfront businesses tapped into a new power supply after connecting to the city’s district heat network.
Companies based in No. 8, No. 10, and No. 12 Princes Dock, in Peel Waters’ Liverpool Waters district, became the first commercial office buildings to connect their heating and hot water supply to the multimillion-pound Mersey Heat network and Energy Centre.
These three net zero in operation office buildings are now benefiting from locally generated heat from the energy centre, which is home to one of the UK’s largest water source heat pumps and due for completion later this year.
Situated off Great Howard Street, the energy centre, which is being designed and built by Vital Energi, led by Peel’s district heat network specialist, Ener-Vate, will reduce Liverpool’s carbon footprint and improve the energy-efficiency levels of more than 6,700 new homes, 1.3 million sq feet of commercial space, the nearby Titanic Hotel and conference spaces.
Prior to its completion, the heat for the offices will come from back-up gas-powered boilers housed in the centre. Once complete, heat will be delivered through water source heat pumps taking water from the nearby Leeds/Liverpool Canal.
Eventually a six km district heating network will heat thousands of homes and businesses.
The Mersey Heat network is set to become a major part of Liverpool’s low carbon energy infrastructure.
The energy centre, off Great Howard Street, was designed and built by renewable energy company, Vital Energi, and led by Peel’s district heat network specialist, Ener-Vate.
Inside the Mersey Heat Energy Centre
The current phase of the project will supply approximately 10GWh 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.
In September, Minister for Energy Consumers, Miatta Fahnbulleh, became the first minister from the new government to visit Liverpool’s Mersey Heat Network Energy Centre.
Liza Marco, senior asset manager at Liverpool Waters, said: “We are very proud to have connected the first commercial office buildings in Liverpool to this innovative new heating network.
“Sustainability and climate resilience are a huge priority for our ambitious tenants at Princes Dock, and we are excited to be connected and ready to go for when the energy centre is fully switched on in the coming months.”
David Tatton, investment director, Peel NRE, said: “The connection of the network to No’s 8, 10 and 12 Princes Dock is a huge milestone for the Mersey Heat project. The energy centre is now live and will soon be providing low carbon heat and hot water to over 100,000 sq ft of the best Grade A office space in Liverpool.
“Early adopters, like Peel Waters, will help drive demand for heat networks across the city, and we hope to be connecting more offices in the years to come.”
Jo Longdon, director of strategy, Ener-Vate, said: “Heat Networks are crucial for decarbonising cities like Liverpool and Mersey Heat is set to play a central role, delivering heat and hot water across both residential and commercial properties. This connection to some of the city’s most sought after commercial space is a real achievement for everyone involved.”
Liverpool Waters is part of Peel Waters, a UK-wide portfolio of waterfront developments delivering large scale, sustainable regeneration projects, creating jobs, economic growth, new homes and new public realm across the country.
