Large heating pipe lines at a district heating plant
E.ON has revealed plans that would more than double the size of its district heating network in Sheffield.
The district heating scheme in the Lower Don Valley is currently powered by E.ON’s Blackburn Meadows renewable energy plant which uses biomass to provide a source of heating to connected buildings in the Lower Don Valley.
Chris Lovatt, Chief Operating Officer for E.ON’s Energy Infrastructure Solutions business, said:
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.
We are the playmakers in creating a more sustainable UK through projects like this, and with Sheffield’s bold steps to become a zero-carbon city by 2030 we’re looking to expand the route of our district heat network to play a role in that ambition. 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.
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 in the coming weeks.
If planning consent is granted, construction would begin towards the end of 2025 and continue until the end of 2028.
