The state-of-the-art district heating network at the Clyde Gateway site in Glasgow’s East End broke ground in 2020, following £2.1 million funding from SP Energy Networks’ Green Economy Fund.  Now complete, it will provide instant heating and hot water to residents and businesses.

As Scotland’s first Green Regeneration Innovation District (GRID), the £6.1m Clyde Gateway project will heat homes and businesses using the new system and will allow people to live and work in a greener and more resilient community by removing the need for individual properties to house gas boilers. Initially, 48 homes and Clyde Gateway’s new low carbon EastWorks offices which repurposes former Gasworks buildings, will be connected to the district heating network with plans to connect over 300 homes and commercial businesses over the coming years.

Clyde Gateway’s GRID project was selected by the Department for International Trade to become one of a few select Scottish projects for the launch of its new Investment Atlas.

The system they will share has been designed using a mix of heat from waste water technology alongside a combined heat and power engine (CHP) to be considerably more efficient than conventional heating and will help to combat fuel poverty by reducing energy bills. This model will help support the Scottish Government’s ambitious plans to meet net zero emissions targets by 2045.

The project has been developed in partnership with Scottish Water Horizons, a commercial subsidiary of Scottish Water, with energy generated by the system used to power their Dalmarnock Waste Water Treatment Works. The waste heat generated by this process will be captured and stored to use throughout the network to sustainably supply heating and hot water for homes and businesses through 3km of underground pipework. 

The network benefits from the addition of two 100kw heat pumps which capture and amplify the natural heat found in wastewater. These pumps extract heat energy from the final effluent at the treatment works, adding additional resilience and capacity to the network whilst contributing to the green credentials of the project.

SP Energy Networks is part of the ScottishPower group. It is developing an energy model that will play a significant role towards reaching the UK’s world-leading climate change targets and is investing a total of £10 billion in the clean energy generation and networks infrastructure needed to help the UK decarbonise and reach Net Zero emissions.

Ian Manson, chief executive of Clyde Gateway, said: “We are extremely proud to be Scotland’s first Green Regeneration Innovation District (GRID) and this new sustainable district heating system places Clyde Gateway as one of Scotland’s leading energy efficiency and sustainability sites, benefitting hundreds of homes and businesses. This incredible 3km-long underground project is just as important to the ongoing regeneration of Glasgow’s East End as any of the transformative above ground projects that have taken place over the past decade.” 

Paul Kerr, managing director of Scottish Water Horizons, said: “The need for collaborative and innovative approaches to the way we heat our buildings has never been greater with the implications of climate change evident every day. We’re thrilled to have played a part in this momentous project, supporting Scotland’s largest regeneration programme to date.

“With Scottish Water committed to Net Zero emissions by 2040, we’re constantly looking at ways we can contribute and facilitate this ambitious target. The Clyde Gateway project will not only help tackle fuel poverty in Glasgow’s East End, but will provide sustainable, efficient heating to support our journey to Net Zero.”

Scott Mathieson, network planning & regulation director, SP Energy Networks, said: “Heat in buildings is responsible for a fifth of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions – that’s why we’re supporting numerous projects through our Green Economy Fund with the objective of decarbonising heat and tackling fuel poverty. 

“This is one of the country’s most innovative and sustainable heating systems. By helping to reduce fuel poverty this project ensures that people living in the Clyde Gateway community aren’t left behind as we transition to net zero emissions. 

“By creating a Green Regeneration and Innovation District, Clyde Gateway is decarbonising travel and energy for homes and businesses. This is at the heart of our Green Economy Fund, which supports local communities by investing in projects that deliver low carbon solutions and create economic benefits. It’s about achieving a better future, quicker for everyone.”