London Strategic Heat Main wins £41m government backing
The Thames-side heat network would use recovered heat from sources such as data centres and factories to supply 650,000 London homes, with funding part of a wider £90m government commitment to heat networks in the capital.
A planned heat network running under and alongside the River Thames has been awarded £41m in government funding, as ministers back a wider push to expand district heating in London.
The London Strategic Heat Main is designed to capture excess heat from sources such as data centres and factories and move it through a system of hot water pipes. The project aims to supply heat to 650,000 homes in the capital.
The award forms part of a broader £90m government investment in London heat networks.
Phased route across the capital
The initial phase would cross seven boroughs, running from Bexley in south London through Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, the City of London, Lambeth and Westminster.
The scheme is already in development but remains subject to planning. It could later be extended to Barking, Dagenham and Tower Hamlets in east London, and Kensington and Chelsea in the west.
The long-term plan is for a purpose-built tunnel beside and beneath the Thames to carry hot water across London and distribute heat to homes and businesses along the route.
While the tunnel is under construction, the project aims to move hot water 15.5 miles (25km) each day using electric barges on the river.
The project is thought to be deliverable by the early 2030s.
Investment and jobs
Ministers say the scheme will help unlock about £5bn of investment in London's heat networks and support skilled roles in tunnelling, engineering and river transport.
The pontoons holding the water tanks could also be developed into "Thames Floating Gardens", creating green space in a way comparable to the 19th-century embankments built over parts of the London Underground.
The government has said heating homes accounts for about a fifth of UK greenhouse gas emissions.
Other funded schemes
The wider funding package includes:
- £11.5m for a separate heat network in Bexley and Greenwich, which is expected to serve up to 100,000 homes when fully built.
- £11.4m for a heat system in the Marble Arch area using water-source heat pumps to draw energy from the London chalk aquifer, heating offices, homes, hotels and businesses around Oxford Street.
- £5.5m to upgrade systems serving 1,143 residents at Prospect House in Bermondsey and the Packington Estate heat network in Islington.
Energy minister Martin McCluskey said: "Clean power and clean heat benefit communities across our country.
"Building the infrastructure to deliver it is reindustrialising the UK and rolling out cutting-edge energy technology so families can benefit from lower bills, good jobs and energy security.
"For those already using heat networks, we are upgrading inefficient systems to make sure people get the high-quality, low-cost, reliable heating they deserve."
