YOUR WASTE TO HEAT CITY IN £26M PLAN
STEAM FROM THE CARDIFF BAY INCINERATOR WILL BE PIPED INTO PUBLIC BUILDINGS ACROSS THE CAPITAL
HEAT from the Cardiff Bay incinerator will be piped into public buildings across the city as part of a proposed £26.2m scheme.
Energy from burning non-recyclable waste at the Trident Park Energy Recovery Facility would be transported through a network of underground pipes to provide heat to public and commercial buildings across Cardiff.
Buildings connected to the network would no longer have to use gas to heat their properties – reducing energy bills and Cardiff ’s carbon emissions.
Cardiff Council’s cabinet will meet on Thursday to review the plans, which would require £4m of council borrowing, with the rest of the money coming from the UK and Welsh governments and the private sector.
The cabinet will be asked to sign off a business case for the heat network, begin applications for funding and to try to find a company to operate the project.
Councillor Michael Michael, Cardiff Council’s cabinet member for clean streets and the environment, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Cardiff to develop new low-carbon energy infrastructure, fuelled by existing assets and facilities in the city.
“Analysis that has been carried out shows the scheme has the opportunity to save 5,600 tonnes of carbon each year, with an assumption of a 5% saving on energy costs for the buildings that connect to the network.
“However, these schemes are reliant on a number of factors to make them viable. Firstly, external funding is required and we are working with both central and Welsh government to help us put the correct funding in place. Secondly, long-term contracts have to be secured to use the heat from the network and this will be essential for the scheme to progress.”
Cardiff Heat Network would begin from the Viridor-operated waste plant in Cardiff Bay, then run through large parts of the Bay before crossing the main railway line, skirting the southern edge of the city centre and end in the western parts of Newport Road.
Low-pressure steam from the plant would be used to heat water to a temperature of around 90C, which would then circulate around the network.
Lesley Griffiths, Welsh Government cabinet secretary for energy, planning and rural affairs, said: “De-carbonising heat is a significant challenge in delivering a low-carbon economy for Wales.
“We are supporting a range of initiatives and have provided significant assistance to Cardiff Council to develop the project to this stage. We will continue to work in partnership with Cardiff Council with the ambition of making the project a reality.”
The network would most likely be owned by an independent company, but the council would be a major shareholder.
Chris Jonas, Viridor’s managing director of major contracts, said: “Viridor’s view is that all waste should be given a purpose and valued as a resource rather than rubbish. It should be put to work for Welsh businesses and communities.
“For Welsh residents and the business sector to see this concept being put into practice in Cardiff is a goal which is well worth pursuing.”