The UK government is funding a green energy project that will use waste heat from datacenters to heat homes in London. The project will be run by the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) in the boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Brent and Ealing.
The project will connect 10,000 new homes and 250,000m2 of commercial space to a low-carbon heat network that will recycle waste heat from nearby datacenters.
The project will receive £36 million ($41.4 million) from the government’s Green Heat Network Fund, which supports innovative low-carbon heating schemes.
The project is expected to help the UK meet its net zero target by 2050, as smart meters will allow households to track energy usage and access smarter tariffs.
The project is the first of its kind in the UK, as datacenters typically use large amounts of energy to cool down their servers and generate a lot of waste heat.
The project is in advanced commercial and technical discussions with two datacenters, which will supply 98.7 GWh of heat to the network.
The project is expected to start heating homes as early as 2027, subject to relevant approvals during the commercialisation phase.
The project is one of five green heating projects across the country that will benefit from the Green Heat Network Fund, which has a total budget of £65 million ($79.4 million).
Another project will see Lancaster University fully decarbonise its campus, by receiving over £21 million ($25.6 million) in support for a new low-carbon heat network that will use a large heat pump powered by a solar farm and a wind turbine.
The other projects will involve housing estates in London, Suffolk, and Watford that will install heat pumps to provide low-carbon heating to homes and businesses.
The projects will create thousands of skilled jobs, support local communities and businesses, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The projects are part of the government’s plan to modernise the energy system and achieve net zero by 2050.
The government has set the industry annual minimum goals to roll out smart meters, which are part of the plan to reduce energy consumption and switch to a more flexible energy system.
The government is also working with the energy sector to find solutions to address the grid challenges, such as investing in network upgrades, developing smart grid technologies, and facilitating market mechanisms to incentivise flexibility and demand response.
Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho said: "Innovative projects, like these announced today, are another example of why the UK is a world leader in cutting carbon emissions. We are investing in the technologies of the future so that families across the country will now be able to warm their homes with low-carbon, recycled heat - while creating thousands of new skilled jobs."
Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: "Keeping homes warm with waste heat from technology is a glimpse into the future - and demonstrates just how innovative this country can be when it comes to reducing our carbon emissions. The £65 million we’ve awarded today will help spread this success across the country, by rolling out innovative low-carbon heating to help to drive down energy bills and deliver our net zero goal.”