Lower Don Valley district heating system could double in size

Even more homes and businesses in Sheffield could get their heat from renewable sources – if the go-ahead is given to expand a district heating network in Sheffield.

A multi-million-pound investment is planned by E.ON to double the size of its heating network in the Lower Don Valley, powered by a mixture of renewable energy from its biomass plant at Blackburn Meadows as well as capturing and reusing sources of waste heat around the city.

The energy company hopes to install another 10km of pipeline to connect even more customers in the city, and potentially tap new sources of low carbon heating, such as from local industry, that might otherwise go to waste.

What is District Heating?

Instead of having individual boilers in homes and businesses, a district heating system connects to one large heat source – in Sheffield’s case the biomass power plant in Tinsley – which supplies heating and how water to customers through a network of super-insulated pipes.

That means those connected customers don’t need their own heating source. And because the central heating source runs on renewable power – by using waste wood that would otherwise go to landfill – the energy it generates is cleaner and more efficient than alternative heating methods.

E.ON’s proposals would expand its existing 8km pipe network, which currently takes heating directly into businesses including Ikea, Sheffield Arena and Sheffield Forgemasters. If it gets the go-ahead from Sheffield City Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, it could be heating many more homes and businesses.

Individual homes require a small heat exchanger in their property, which is the same size as current boilers, but blocks of flats or businesses can have a heat exchanger in the plant room which allows individual temperature control panels to regulate the heat in different flats, or different parts of an office or building.

Whether it’s combating the climate crisis, cleaning the air in city streets, or weaning the UK off fossil fuels to avoid the impact of volatile global gas markets, we need to find new, cleaner ways of heating our homes and businesses. Heat networks like ours in the Lower Don Valley allow us to do that.

Chris Lovatt, Chief Operating Officer for E.ON’s Energy Infrastructure Solutions business

Sheffield has a stated aim to become a zero-carbon city by 2030 and Mr Lovatt said expanding the route of its district heat network would play a role in that ambition. E.ON says not only is this type of heating cleaner and greener, it is potentially also more affordable and could help to combat fuel poverty.

Cutting carbon, creating jobs

“If approved, as part of our ongoing investment in the city we’ll be looking to create more than 2,000 green jobs in the region as well as improving public spaces – leaving every space we touch better than when we found it,” said Mr Lovatt.

These jobs could include construction, project management, strategic planning and engineering with multiple career paths available.

District heating networks like this one will play a critical role in decarbonising cities, says E.ON. Heat networks currently provide 3% of the heat demand in the UK, with that number potentially growing to 20% nationwide by 2050 to support the UK’s move towards net zero.

Half of Europe’s total energy consumption is dedicated to heating and cooling, with nearly 80% [1] coming from non-renewable sources, often fossil fuels. With the majority (70%) of people in Europe living in urban areas[2], growing urbanisation will further increase demand for both heating and cooling.

Mr Lovatt added: “If the extension to our network is approved, we’ll be working with local residents, businesses and community groups to deliver initiatives that improve the city: improved pathways and cycle paths, planting trees and shrubs, as well as creating warm spaces and educational workshops.”

A formal planning application could be submitted to Sheffield City Council towards the end of summer, with E.ON launching a consultation programme and events for local residents.

If planning consent is granted, construction would begin towards the end of 2025 and continue until the end of 2028.

Sheffield’s biomass district heating scheme could be expanded – investment, jobs and improved public spaces

What is District Heating?

Cutting carbon, creating jobs

Find out more