District Heating

Inverness 1 September 2015

Peter Marshall (Strategy & Policy Manager)

Lessons from Denmark

Early attempts in Perth & Kinross

Local Development Plan

Current Activity

What Next?

The Unanswered Questions

Heat planning in existence on a formal basis for forty years. (first around 100 years ago)

Current policy approach to district heating was established following the oil crises of 1973/74

The national consensus and direction extends to providing central support on assumptions to be used in assessing heat planning projects and providing guidance to local authorities on how to prepare mandatory and holistic energy plans.

Lessons from Denmark

The tradition of municipal-owned or community-owned energy companies gives Denmark a different starting point than Scotland

It should also be noted that when this push started in the early 1980s the entire Danish energy sector was in Public ownership.

The production, network and distribution companies are set up as not for profit organisations

Lessons from Denmark

Legislation allows for compulsory connection but seldom required

Connecting individual homes, as opposed to higher density properties such as apartments, increases costs and reduces the competitiveness

Does Scotland need an acceptance of higher density development?

The principle here seems to be to start small in a number of places and then connect these smaller schemes

Lessons from Denmark

Lessons from Denmark

Early attempts in Perth & Kinross

2001 - Binn Farm surplice heat from anaerobic digestion plant attempt to get developer of nearby strategic site 4 miles to north to develop heat network

Failed – Lack of imagination / flexibility by developer and timing of proposals post planning application

2008- Proposed district heat network to serve new Secondary School and regeneration of Muirton (400 houses)

Failed due to inability of PPP partner and housing association to reach agreement

Heat Map

Commissioned by us in partnership with Fife Council and the Scottish Government helps to identify district heating opportunities in Perth and Kinross. 

Provides starting point to inform district heating policies in the Local Development Plan and develop a Local Energy Plan

April 22, 2023

www.pkc.gov.uk/heatmap

The Local Development Plan

Sustainable Construction Policy backed up by Supplementary Guidance

Site specific requirement for 5 key strategic sites round Perth Core Area to investigate the potential for district heating (6,500-9,000 houses)

LDP2 needs to strengthen strategic approach and widen the site specific requirements to smaller sites particularly off gas network

The Local Development Plan

At time of Adopting LDP 1 proposals lodged for a 20MW forest residue biomass plant

Too much reliance placed by developers on this providing their solution – proposal now unlikely to go ahead due to changes in the renewable heat incentive

Danish message start small individual schemes and link up

Cross TAY Link RoadLinking Strategic Development Sites

Estimated Cost £88MPhasing 20-22

Luncarty 500+ houses

Scone 800+ houses

Relieves traffic pressure and air quality on Bridgend and Atholl Street

3000+ houses

3000+ houses

1500+ houses

Current Activity

River Tay Renewable Heat Exchange Network

12MW Peak Demand Heat2MW Peak Demand Cooling

ServesFood and Drink Park8 Council Buildings1537 Homes

Next Step – Further feasibility work

Current Activity

Perth West Wood Biomass combined heat and power proposal

Large estate with significant forestry assets

Interested in running plant but perhaps not network

Potential to link to Business Park and 5 Schools

Wants to run joint feasibility study with Council

Officer support but want to draw in other strategic sites and main areas of fuel poverty to look at a comprehensive network

Current Activity

Planning permission for 114 ha of unheated and heated polytunnels and Binn Farm Eco Park

Heat generated from the existing and proposed recycling, waste management and heat recovery processes– landfill gas, the anaerobic digestion plant and an energy from waste facility

Phase Development Timescale Heat usePhase 1 1 ha for research facility (probably a

fairly small glasshouse-type structure) with lab and heated growing space

2014-5 1 MW

Phase 2 8-12 blocks of 0.25 ha heated poly houses (land take t.b.c. depending on density of cover of the poly houses)

2015-6 2-3 MW

Phase 3 Development of the unheated poly tunnel systems

2016-21 Nil

Phase 4 20-40 blocks of 0.25 ha heated poly houses

2017-22 5-10 MW

Current Activity

It was evident various services in Council were working on related projects and not always sharing information - Inter departmental group established to co-ordinate activity

LDP 2 underway strengthening approach to District Heating

Supplementary Guidance on Renewables being prepared identifying strategic opportunities from new or more joined up activity across renewable and low carbon technologies

City Plan promoting carbon neutral development

Strategic Planned energyNational Planning Framework

Scottish Planning Policy

Strategic Development Plans

LDP/Renewables SG

Local Energy Plan

Master plan and projects “Local Development Plans should: Use heat mapping to identify

opportunities Give policy support for developing

of heat networks Identify where heat networks would

be appropriate” (SPP, 2015)

We are here

What Next?

Request to Executive Officer Team to develop strategic framework for energy

A proposed Energy Plan identifying priority actions to plan strategic energy networks and clearly defined outcomes

Progress feasibility work in association with strategic site owners

Unanswered questions

The Scottish Government needs to research whether the greatest carbon savings can be achieved with heat networks and buildings which fall short of passive status

Funding model and who owns and runs the plant, network and distribution companies?

What is the Council’s attitude to risk?

Can we exclude gas networks in new development with district heat networks?

Unanswered questions

How we get developer buy in?

How do we get public buy in?• Public need to expect / demand heat

networks from developers• Need to understand and trust

technology• Accept that plant is environmentally

acceptable and compatible with adjacent land uses

Questions

For me or my colleagues