Bradford: Heat pipe plan for below city centre streets

Plans for the project have been submitted to Bradford Council

Plans to lay three miles of pipes to funnel green energy to buildings in Bradford have been revealed.

The two-stage £40m plan involves using air source heat pumps to warm water which is run through the underground network to customers.

Applicant Bradford Energy Limited (BEL) said the scheme could heat public buildings, such as the Law Courts and Alhambra Theatre.

If approved by the council, the project could be up and running by 2025.

A new city centre plant would house the air source heat pumps, which would then send the warm water around the area via the subterranean system.

BEL said it would help cut carbon emissions generated by city centre buildings, most of which use gas heating.

CEO Andrew Wettern said the privately-funded project would help make Bradford a clean-growth city, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Although the heating provided by the network would initially cost more than gas, Mr Wettern said it would be a much more stable energy source and not subject to recent fluctuations seen in the gas market.

'Growing confidence'

BEL has proposed to build the pipe network in two phases, with the initial section offering connections to around 30 major buildings focusing on an east-west alignment running roughly between the University of Bradford in the west to the courts in the east.

A second phase would see pipes expanded to cover areas to the north and south of phase one, potentially connecting as far north as Foster Square retail park and south as far as Park Road.

A heat network developed by the council was proposed for the city centre several years ago but never progressed.

Bradford Council said as a privately-funded project, the scheme "is a sign of the growing confidence in Bradford's future".

A spokesperson added: "By enhancing our ability to grow the economy sustainably, Bradford will have an advantage over many other places and so we warmly welcome the investment and the opportunities it will bring."