New heat network plans to tap the Thames to warm London's South Bank

"A heat network comprising underground pipes is being built in the area, and in addition to distributing hot water to buildings, it will also seek low-carbon sources of that heat. In some places, heat networks use gas turbines for baseload and then tap into novel sources of heat to top up the supply, such as extracting heat from the London Underground in Islington. The Waterloo and South Bank Heat Network, being developed by Hemiko, is now looking at extracting heat from the River Thames."

"It won't be the first time this has been done in this part of London, as the Royal Festival Hall was designed to be heated and cooled using a heat pump that extracted heat from the river in winter and returned it to the river in summer. They used two old Rolls-Royce Merlin engines from a Spitfire to power the pump, but they proved overpowered and were removed after the Festival of Britain. Now they're back, but this time without the WWII engines."

"Hemiko, a heat networks investor, developer, and operator, has secured £15.6 million from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's Green Heat Network Fund to kickstart the development of the new project. Hemiko says that it will invest £72.7 million into the early stages of the Waterloo and South Bank Heat Network, creating over 200 jobs. The first phase alone will save 22,000 tonnes of carbon annually - the equivalent of taking 10,000 cars off the road."

The Waterloo and South Bank Heat Network will distribute hot water through underground pipes and seek low‑carbon heat sources, including extracting warmth from the River Thames. Hemiko, a heat-networks investor, developer and operator, has secured £15.6 million from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's Green Heat Network Fund and will invest £72.7 million in early stages. The project expects to create over 200 jobs and save about 22,000 tonnes of carbon annually, equivalent to removing 10,000 cars. The network will expand to serve more South London buildings. River warming from climate change increases available heat. Hemiko also develops OPEN and participates in SWAN.

Read at ianVisits