Striving to be light years ahead of net-zero targets
A new heat network at the heart of Manchester city centre’s civic quarter centralises the generation of high efficiency heat and power. The £24M scheme is set to reduce carbon emissions from some of the city’s most iconic buildings.
The Carbon and Energy Fund helped Manchester City Council to secure the capital for the project with an initial £2.87m grant from the Government’s Heat Network Investment Programme, as part of a £320 million national heat networks programme.
With CEF testing and approving selected companies onto its procurement framework – based on the latest UK procurement regulations for public sector projects – Vital Energi was appointed as main contractor for the design, build, operation and maintenance of the network.
The energy centre contains a 3.3MWe combined heat and power (CHP) engine and two 12MW gas boilers. Recovered heat captured during electricity generation is harnessed to create hot water, distributed through insulated district pipework across the 2km city network.
At street level the most visible elements of the scheme are Tonkin Liu’s Wall of Energy; a 63m long, 4.6m high façade enclosing the energy centre itself, while the flue is encased within his multi-award-winning Tower of Light, the largest shell-lace structure yet built.
While initially projected to save 1,600 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, the energy centre is designed to become more efficient with the connection of additional buildings. The first building to be connected was the Manchester Central Convention Centre, followed by the Town Hall Extension, Central Library, the Bridgewater Hall, Heron House and Manchester Art Gallery.
By centralising power and heat for multiple buildings in one location, the existing gas-based technology improves energy efficiency performance by as much as 45% but ultimately the intention is to transition the energy centre to renewable sources; amplifying the scheme’s effect on carbon reduction.