Decarbonising heat in UK Towns and Cities

To accelerate heat decarbonisation, developing new approaches and models to deliver on energy efficiency and carbon reduction is essential. Ramboll’s pioneering leaders and innovators work with government, local authorities, councils, and developers to tackle the many challenges of heat decarbonisation. We have delivered hundreds of projects and remain at the forefront in supporting organisations’ net zero ambitions, delivering solutions that realise decarbonisation of whole energy systems from cities to sites.

Ramboll is supporting the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on a 28 towns and cities pilot to develop a national methodology for heat network zoning in England. The aim is to provide a methodology to initiate and accelerate initial zone identification. Our team is supporting methodology development with three of the 28 city partners to identify potentially viable zones for large-scale heat network deployment. A robust data-driven evidence base is being taken to ensure successful rollout of the methodology, due for deployment by 2025. Through a much greater role for heat networks the government will be able to accelerate heat decarbonising in support of its 2050 net zero target.

Ramboll has also supported many local authorities and councils who play a key role in planning and implementing programmes of investment and infrastructure systems that enable heat decarbonisation. We have worked with them to develop city-wide and site solutions, from setting area-based strategic plans to progressing site-specific solutions for implementation. Through strategic planning of heat networks, scale and interconnection can deliver greater operational cost and carbon savings.

Whilst there has been a slow increase in the number of heat networks in the UK, with funding provided by UK and Scottish governments, the proportion of heat supplied via heat networks remains low at around 3% of total heat supplied. Many heat networks are small and inefficient, whilst some older networks are under-performing. Ramboll is working with Gemserv for BEIS to deliver the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme, which provides grant funding to improve efficiency and comfort for existing heat networks. It helps network owners and operators to support residents to benefit from better performing networks.