Low-carbon heating project gets under way

Construction will start in July and the first buildings are set to be connected by summer 2025, including Worthing Hospital

A seaside town’s council has launched a project to roll out infrastructure that will offer climate-friendly heating to all its homes and buildings by 2050.

The scheme in Worthing, West Sussex, will see up to £500 million of investment from developer Hemiko.

Worthing Borough Council identified a heat network as the cheapest and most efficient way to decarbonise the town’s buildings.

Sophie Cox, Worthing’s cabinet member for climate emergency, said it was "an exciting development".

Heat networks use a centralised source of heat and pipe it to nearby buildings where it is used to heat rooms and water.

The Worthing heat network will initially use three large air source heat pumps in an energy centre located by the High Street multi-storey car park.

This will supply heating to large public sector buildings.

Construction will start in July and the first buildings are set to be connected by summer 2025, including Worthing Town Hall, Worthing Hospital, the Assembly Hall, Portland House and Worthing Museum and Art Gallery.

The first phase of the project is expected to save more than 3,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, and create 40 local jobs, Hemiko said.

The scheme is expected to support 500 jobs by 2050, the company added.

Sophie Cox, Worthing’s cabinet member for climate emergency, said: “The Worthing heat network is an exciting development in our transition to low carbon heating and an important milestone in our mission to be a carbon neutral council by 2030 and a net-zero borough by 2045.

“I’m really looking forward to the council working alongside Hemiko on the next stages of the project and bringing low carbon heating to the residents and business of Worthing.”